Hope in the darkness
by GhostWriter84
Summary: A sequel to Dixon's Hope. Daryl and Merle lost Hope and then each other. Merle is about to get reunited with Hope whilst Daryl tries to cope with the loss of his whole family. How far will Merle go to protect his girl? and can Daryl confide in anyone about the loss he's suffered?
1. Chapter 1

**This is the sequel too Dixon's Hope. I really hope you all enjoy the story.**

**Please review.**

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**Chapter 1.**

They say times a healer but that's a lie and no one knew this fact better than Merle Dixon. Merle lay on a bed drifting in and out of consciousness his dreams were filled with the torment of his lost child. The few seconds that he'd wake from the dark dreams would be filled with searing pain and blurred visions of people he didn't know talking in hushed voices. "How's he doing?" A low voice asked.

"Much better today." Another voice replied. "He keeps calling out for Daryl and a squirt."

"Well just let me know off any improvement." The voice replied.

The next time Merle woke there was no noise no muttered words only a dim light that his eyes took a while to adjust to. Merle let out a dry raspy moan, his throat was so dry he couldn't even form words. He lifted his right arm slightly he noticed two things a drip attached to his arm and his missing hand. Anger flashed through him as he saw the bandaged stub and memories flooded back too him, that prick handcuffing him to the roof and that nigger dropping the god damn keys. Then he remembered why he went with the group in the first place, to find Hope. Merle and Daryl had travelled to Atlanta only to find it completely overrun with geeks but that didn't stop them searching. When the china man went on a scavenging mission Merle tagged along with the hope of finding Hope but instead that dumbass cop caused a geek stampede and all hell broke loose. Even being chained down didn't stop Merle's attempt to find his girl. He cut his hand off and made his way to the Blake's last know address but the house had been empty and that was the last thing Merle remembered.

Merle pulled himself into a sitting position ignoring the pain that burnt through his body; he squinted as he looked around the small room. The room was dimly lit by wall lights and his bed seemed to be the only bed in the room. Medical equipment sat on a small table over the other side of the small room and the room had a clinical smell to it that reminded Merle of a hospital. Merle had no idea where he was or how he'd gotten to the strange place, all he knew was that he need to get out. He needed to get back to Daryl. Merle ripped the drip from his right arm and slowly placed his legs off the side of the bed. As he went to stand his legs buckled under his weight. Merle placed his hands out to break the fall, he'd completely forgotten about his missing right hand and his weight came crashing down on the nub. Merle gave a large animal like growl of pain. His body crumpled into the foetal position and he used his left hand to hold his nub trying to somehow stop the intense pain that moved through his whole body and made him feel violently sick.

The noise had brought people into the room, a man and a woman. The woman rushed to Merle's side and tried to pull Merle back on to the bed but Merle kept swatting at her with his left arm. He didn't want help he just wanted to leave. The tall well dressed man stepped forward. "Leave him to me doctor." The woman left and the man watched Merle squirm on the floor in front of him. He looked like a fish that had just been pulled out of the water flopping around on the floor in pain and anger. Merle eventually managed to sit his body up using the bed behind him to support his back. The well groomed man squatted down next to Merle. "Now I won't have you treating my staff like that." The man's tone was smooth yet firm. Usually Merle would have told him to go fuck himself but there was something lurking behind this man's blue eyes that Merle didn't like. "Are we understood?" Merle just gave a nod in response. "Good." Was the only reply the man gave as he started to hoist Merle back on to the bed.

"Where...am...I?" Merle croaked slowly, his dry throat felt like it was tightening by the second.

The man poured Merle a glass of water and Merle gratefully drank it. "You're in Woodbury. We found you half dead and near starving." The man refilled Merle's glass. The water slid quickly down Merle's throat bringing him sweet relief. "I thought you could become an asset too us. Not many people could survive what you did." The man nodded to Merle's stump. "They call me the Governor. What do they call you?"

Merle placed the glass on the table beside him and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "They call me Merle but I ain't stayin'. I got stuff to do." Merle stated bluntly.

The Governor gave a small smile. "Like find Daryl?" Merle thought the man's tone was almost menacing when he said his brothers name.

"How do you know my brother? Is he here? Do you have him?" Merle stood off the bed his whole body swayed but he managed to steady himself.

The Governor placed his hands in his pockets. "You called his name many times. So Merle...do you have a surname?"

Merle seemed confused they were in the middle of hell surnames weren't important anymore. Hell it didn't matter what your first name was, everyone was going to share the same fate in the end, torn to shreds by geeks. "Dixon." Merle replied. He took a few wobbly steps towards the door. "I gotta go." Merle grunted with effort. He needed more time too heal but he needed to get out and start looking for Daryl right away.

"Merle Dixon." The way the Governor said his name made Merle stop and slowly turn to face him. "That can't be a very popular name now can it?" The Governor moved slowly towards Merle. "And a brother named Daryl. The odds get a little less." The Governor pulled out a chair and offered it to Merle.

Merle refused the invitation to sit. He didn't like this man and his questions. "Where you goin' with this?" Merle asked gruffly.

The Governor pointed to the chair. "Please sit." The words sounded more like an order than a request. Merle let his body fall into the hard chair. "Does the name Maria Blake mean anything to you?" The Governor crossed his arms as he watched Merle's expression change from a menacing snarl into a look of pain and regret. "She was one of the first to contract the virus. My parents were visiting her in hospital when she turned. Maria killed them."

Merle's face twisted into sadness and fear. "No." he whispered in a hushed tone. Merle was sure they would have had Hope with them and that meant Hope was gone.

The Governor paid no attention to Merle's small moan he just circled Merle in the chair like a vulture waiting for its prey to die. "Like I said before you'd be a valued member of our society."

Merle shook his head. He needed to find his brother more than ever. Daryl needed to know that Hope was gone. "Nah I told ya I need to find my brother." Merle's rough tone was filled with sadness and despair; his eyes looked down at the floor.

The Governor gave a twisted smile. "I have her Merle." Merle's eyes flicked up and locked on to the Governors ice blue eyes. "I have Hope."

Merle stood up a little too fast and the Governor steadied Merle's body. "I wanna see her." Merle demanded.

Merle was eased back down into the chair and the Governor stood above him. "And you will. All I ask is that you stay here in the safety of Woodbury."

"Daryl." Merle muttered.

The Governor raised his hands silencing Merle. "We will find your brother and bring him here but before you see Hope I need you too do something for me. Can you do that Merle?" Merle clenched his jaw tightly he never been anyone's bitch and he didn't want to start now but this man held the trump card. This man had Hope. Merle just gave a firm nod. "Good." The Governor patted Merle's shoulder. "I'll send the doctor to check on you and then I suggest you rest because tomorrow you head back to Atlanta."

Merle gritted his teeth. "And then I see her." Merle was trying to hold his temper. He knew one wrong word or one wrong action and he'd lose his girl.

The Governor gave a sick and evil grin. "Once the job is done then you can see Hope." The man strode out of the room and left Merle sitting in the room alone. Merle shivered he'd only just realised how cold the room was.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing.**

**I should have mentioned at the start of the first chapter this takes place just before season two. **

**Thanks to piratejessieswaby, Brazen Hussy, tanakaL, Annelisa, Emberka-2012, DeviantDames, LeanneDaseyLover, Melissaax3, VinesofIvy and Dear Reader-We're book addicts.**

**Please review.**

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**Chapter 2.**

Merle woke early the next morning he'd been given a guest room for the night and a clean change of clothes. It had taken Merle a while to get dressed and he got frustrated on more than one occasion by the buttons on his pants and his belt buckle. He looked down at a new pair of boots sitting on the floor he slipped them on and then frowned at the thought of having to tie them Merle grabbed the laces in one hand and pulled them tight. He then just pushed them into the side of his boot. There was a small knock on the door and Merle cursed under his breath at the interruption. Merle opened the door and the Governor stood in the doorway with his hands in his pockets. "Did you sleep well?" The man asked entering the room. Merle just gave a small shrug. The man was holding his girl hostage and he wanted to ask about Merle's sleeping habits. The Governor looked down a Merle's feet; he bent down low and went to do his laces up for him.

Merle pulled away. "I ain't a kid." Merle said gruffly.

The Governor looked up at Merle. "You know there's no harm in asking for help." He swiftly tied Merle's boots for him and stood up. Merle squinted at the man and the Governor gave a small laugh. "Hope does that little squint when she's trying to figure things out." The Governor moved around the room. "What are you trying to figure out Merle?"

Merle's face softened at Hope's name. "When can I see her?" Merle asked folding his arms across his chest.

"When we get back." The Governor looked at Merle. "You know I saved your life and Hope's life you should be a little bit more respectful."

Merle gave a snort. "You're keepin' my girl from me and you won't let me leave." Merle snapped back.

The Governor shook his head. "You're free to go but I'm not letting my niece go with you. It's not safe one cry and the bitters will be all over you and I'm not keeping her from you. I just need to make sure you can follow rules before I let you have her." The Governor opened the bedroom door. "Now come along it's time to go."

Merle followed the Governor into a room where a small group of men stood waiting. Merle looked around the room looked like a study an old oak desk sat in the room, bookshelves were jammed with books and large leather chairs sat in the corner of the room. All eyes were on Merle it was like he was the new kid being introduced to the class. "Gentlemen." The Governor spoke. "This is Merle; he'll be joining us today. Now we've found a small group in Atlanta they're based in an old retirement home." The Governor picked up a gun and handed it to Merle. "We're going to go in there and take what we need and remember everyone always make sure it's a head shot." Merle looked slightly confused to why it had to be a headshot if they were tackling people and not geeks. The men nodded and filed out of the room one by one.

Merle hung back for a few moments and the Governor looked at him. "Why a shot them in the head?" Merle asked.

The Governor looked at Merle. "You don't know?" The Governor placed his hands into his pockets. "We all turn no matter what." The man replied. Merle's face twisted in shock and disgust at the thought. The Governor just shrugged. "It isn't nice or pretty but there it is." The Governor motioned towards the door. "Now let's go."

Merle sat in a jeep with the Governor and two other men. One of the men was a large African-American man who went by the name of Shupert, the other was a scruffy looking man called Crowley. The men seemed nice enough and small conversations were exchanged but Merle only had one thing on his mind, getting the job done and getting Hope.

The jeeps pulled up just outside Atlanta and the men exited the vehicles. "We hit them fast and hard." The Governor laid down the law. "Take down anything that moves. I'll get the men outside. I want a small group up on the roof with Merle. The rest of you stay behind the wall, when I give you the signal open fire."

Merle led the group of men; he climbed up a flight of metal steps. The roof was deserted and from this high up Merle could see the Governor making his way slowly into the overgrown courtyard and he could see a small group of the Governor's men hiding outside behind the crumbling brick work. Merle lay on his stomach resting his riffle on his stump; he kept his eye on the Governor standing in the middle of the yard. "Hello!" The governor called out. "Hello is anyone there?" The doors opened and a small group of men came out carrying guns. The guns they held were going to be no match for the ones the Governor and his men held.

One of the men stepped forward he looked the Governor up and down. "What can we do for you?" The man clearly didn't trust the Governor.

The Governor held his hands up in a sign of defeat. "I'm unarmed please don't shoot." Merle was surprised by how convincing the man's act was. "My family and I have broken down just a little way from here and we need help."

The Hispanic man looked at his group and gave a small shrug. "That's got nothing to do with us."

The Governor's voice cracked as if he was about to cry. "Please my baby is sick. Can you a least give us some food?" The story seemed to be convincing enough as the men started to lower their weapons.

The man nodded. "Take me to them." As both men started to walk towards the exit the Governor's men swooped in and started to fire. Merle took a deep breath and started to shoot anybody who came out of the building, bodies fell like dominoes. Merle tried to block out what he was doing he'd never been so ashamed of himself he'd been many things a thug, a dealer a petty thief but he'd never been a murderer. Merle had once been incarcerated with a multiple murderer and he'd told Merle with the greatest pleasure that it gets easier after the first kill but Merle couldn't see that happening anytime soon. All the men lay motionless on the floor and the men on the roof stood up and started to make their way back to the ground.

All the men reached their Governor but Merle was the last to arrive. He just floated behind the group. "We push on in." The Governor ordered he noticed Merle hanging back and frowned. "Merle why don't you lead us in."

Merle stood silent for a while all eyes were on the giant man. Every man in the group wore a look of jealously they'd all been serving the Governor for months and the new boy had been hand picked to lead the charge. Merle wore an expression of stone but his eyes gave away his uneasiness. He gave a small nod and moved inside with the speed and silence of a lion hunting its prey. Merle moved through the deserted building and into a small yard area, two guards were on watch and Merle took them each out with a bullet to the head. He had to keep reminding himself why he was doing this, it was for Hope. Merle led the group into the main building of the nursing home and the blood bath began. Screams and gunshots filled the air.

Merle walked through the rooms and heard a small muttering coming from the prayer room. Merle slowly pushed open the door he had his gun raised. A man was knelt down low on his knees praying. The man opened his eyes and looked up at Merle. "Please don't kill me." The man begged. "Please I've done nothing to you." A small tear leaked out of the man's eye and Merle lowered his gun

"It's funny." The Governor's voice came from behind Merle. "Where we all try to find hope don't you think? Some people seek out hope in church whilst others find it at home." The Governor placed an emphasis on the word _hope_. Merle knew what the man was doing; he was letting Merle know what was expected of him. Merle raised his gun and gritted his teeth he pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the man neatly between the eyes.

Merle heard the Governor leave he couldn't take his eyes of the old dead man. "Sorry." Merle whispered as he left the room closing the door behind him.

The residents were all dead and the men stood in a large main hall. Tables and chairs had been thrown across the room and dead bodies were piled high. "What now Gov?" One man asked.

The Governor looked at his men. "You know what to do take anything of worth. Rip this place apart." The men moved out of the room and started to gather supplies.

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All the supplies were gathered and placed into the men's jeeps. The Governor walked over to Merle who was looking off into the distance. "Is he far from here?" The Governor asked in a soft low tone. "Daryl is he near by? We can go and collect him."

Merle snorted. "So you can kill the whole god damn camp?"

The Governor placed a hand on Merle's broad shoulder. "We can get Daryl, take revenge on those who wronged you and take all the people who you think are worthy back to Woodbury."

Merle was taken back by the man's words. _Take the people he thought were worthy_, somebody actually wanted to listen to his opinion. Merle gave a small smile he'd like to get pay back on the pricks that left him cuffed to the roof. Merle looked at the Governor. "We camped by the quarry."

The Governor nodded. "I'll send the rest of the men home and you and I will make the trip together." Merle went to get in the passenger's seat. "Why don't you drive?" The Governor motioned to the driver's seat. "You know the way."

Merle started the drive towards the quarry his mind raced with thoughts of what he may find. Had Daryl taken revenge himself when the group came back without him? Would Daryl have gone off on his own to find him? but nothing could prepare Merle for the sight they arrived to. Walkers stumbled around everywhere; the camp site had been overrun with rotting stinking walkers. Merle yelled in frustration he was about to get out of the jeep and start attacking them but the Governor pulled his shoulder. "No Merle. It's not worth the risk think of Hope." The Governor wasn't about to let his toughest soldier kill himself. Merle slammed his hand against the steering wheel and drove off taking out as many walkers as he could with the jeep along the way. "You know he may still be alive Merle and if he is we will find him."

The drive back to Woodbury was a sombre one but Merle had to believe Daryl was alive. His baby brother wouldn't lie down and die for those walking corpses. The gates to Woodbury opened and Merle drove in. "Stop here." The Governor instructed.

Merle stopped and got out of the car he stood in front of a small neat house. The Governor walked up and opened the door. "Come on in Merle someone's waiting to see you." The Governor held the door wide open and Merle stood peering into the house. "Come on now we don't want to let the cold in." Merle moved cautiously forward. He entered the house and glanced around it was small and neat, electric lights gave the house a warm glow. A small dark haired woman sat on the couch and on her lap was the most heavenly sight Merle had ever seen, his Hope. She sat grabbing at the woman's dark hair. "Sit down." The Governor offered Merle a seat by the woman. "This is Rowan; she helps look after Hope when I'm busy." The Governor nodded at Rowan and she placed Hope gently on Merle's lap.

At first Hope gave a little whine but she soon settled. Merle took her all in he'd only lost three months but his girl had grown so much. She still had her overly large saucer eye and they still held the most amazing blue colour to them, her hair was now a dark mop of brown with a few tiny curls at the end. Hope bounced up and down on Merle's lap. Merle gave her a soft smile. "Hey squirt." Merle's husky voice made Hope stop bouncing it was almost as if Merle's voice had hit something in Hope she gave a large squeal at Merle and grabbed at his shirt trying to clamber closer to his face.

The Governor looked at Rowan and nodded towards the front door. "Thank you Rowan. I'll see you tomorrow."

Rowan stood up and gently rubbed the back of Hope's head. Hope seemed far more interested in trying to get her hands in Merle's mouth than the woman leaving. "I'll bite 'em squirt." Merle smiled gently taking her hands from his mouth and kissing them.

The Governor poured himself a drink and then poured one for Merle. He placed it on the table in front of him. "She's not usually so good with strangers." The Governor smiled as Hope lent her body back on Merle's right arm trying to look at the large man's face.

The comment made Merle slightly angry this was his girl not some kid he'd just met. "I ain't no stranger." Merle snapped. He expected to get throw out of the house for his tone but he was surprised.

The Governor sat back in his seat swilling his drink around in his glass. Merle's small outburst had just confirmed that Hope was the key to keeping Merle around. "Of course not. All I meant was three months is a long time and babies don't have the best memories."

Hope grabbed Merle's shirt again and tried to hoist herself up to stand on his lap. Merle raised his right arm and supported Hope's back to help her stand on her wobbly legs. Merle looked down at Hope who was now taking great delight in gently slapping the side of Merle's face. "How did you find her?" Merle asked. His full attention was now on the man sat in the chair.

The Governor took a swig from his drink. "I told you about Maria. Well I was babysitting Hope that day as soon as I knew something bad was happening I packed up her stuff and brought Hope here." Hope bounced her feet on Merle's legs trying to get attention from him. Hope pulled on Merle's lip the Governor was surprised that Merle was allowing the small girl to treat him like a human playground. "We nearly got caught by the bitters a couple of times, Hope's not the quietest baby but I wasn't about to abandon my niece to save my own neck. Kin is kin am I right?" Merle looked at the Governor and nodded. "Right Hope needs sleep. Tomorrow Rowan will take you to your new house and then we'll get Hope settled in with you."

Merle's jaw dropped slightly. He thought he was going to have to fight to keep Hope and this man was giving her to him. "I'm keepin' her?" Merle asked uncertainly.

The Governor nodded. "Maria told me all about you and Daryl before she..." The Governor cleared his throat. "Well your brothers not here and that is a sad ordeal for you but it makes you Hope's sole father now and she belongs with her father." Merle looked at Hope who had now started squealing at Merle. "I don't know how much clearer I can make this for you Merle. Do for me and I'll do for you."

Merle looked at the man in front of him he may have killed men but then he was just providing for his people and Merle knew there were plenty of people who'd do the same to them out there. This man had saved his girl and risked his own life. He could have left Hope to die and if that wasn't enough the Governor had then gone to the quarry with the intent of bringing Daryl back to the safety of Woodbury. Merle had started to think that maybe the Governor was a good man, he had given him Hope back and it was only fair that Merle should pay his way in this new world. Merle owed the Governor more than he could ever give.

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Daryl sat in his truck biting his nails the CDC had been a complete waste of time and now here they were in some small neighbourhood waiting for Shane to finish scavenging, Daryl sat thinking about his brother and his girl. At first both he and Merle had been grateful for the outbreak they'd intended to take Hope even if they had to use force. Then the plan was to settle in an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere and just live in peace. Daryl gave a sniff thinking back to the night they first arrived Shane had automatically assumed Daryl's truck was stolen because of the baby seat in the front with Daryl. Merle had told Shane to mind his own business and a small fight had nearly broken out. The first few weeks had been hell Glenn had told the group that Atlanta had been overrun and it was pretty much a no go area. The news had sent Merle off on a drugs bender causing him to cause yet another fight but this time it was with T-Dogg. Daryl felt like his heart had been torn from his chest and had taken to the woods to hunt.

Daryl knew the whole group had labelled them as redneck trash from the start. Kids were told not to go near them and the women steered clear of them all together. It didn't help matters that Merle and Daryl's tents had been placed as far as possible from the rest of the group. It had nothing to do with being antisocial, it was the fact that neither man could put up with Ed treating his wife and daughter like a punching bag. The sounds of Sophia crying always sent both men reaching for Merle's stash and that just led to more trouble. Daryl found it funny they'd be treated like dirt but the group were happy enough to take the food he and his brother caught and they were never once thanked.

Daryl looked in his rear view mirror and his heart jumped. A heard of walkers were coming behind them and Shane was still going from house to house none the wiser. "Fuck." Daryl muttered. He started his truck and started honking his horn at the stationary RV. "Hey! Hey! Walkers!" Daryl screamed waving his arms wildly.

Rick stuck his head out the window and looked back. "Shit. Shane!" Rick yelled. "Shane!" Daryl breathed a sigh of relief as Shane noticed the oncoming herd and started to run. Daryl didn't like Shane but that didn't mean he want ed him to get torn to shreds by walkers. Shane made the RV, walkers banged against the side of the vehicle trying to get at the people inside and once again the convoy pulled away.

* * *

The next time they stop Daryl recognised the place instantly it was the old nursing home.

"How do we know they welcome us?" Andrea asked.

Daryl strutted past with his crossbow on his shoulder. "The guns we gave 'em they should throw us a god damn party." Daryl looked at Rick. "Good call...for once."

The group made their way into the courtyard Daryl jumped through a hole in the crumbling wall he looked around. Dead bodies lay on the ground and walkers sat feasting on their carcasses. From the looks of it the attack was only a few days old.

The walkers groaned and pulled themselves up to their feet growling at the fresh meat. Daryl pulled out his gun and moved around waiting for some form of instruction. Rick sighed and raised his weapon. "To hell with the noise." Rick took down a walker and the rest of the group followed suit. "Everyone get inside." Rick yelled.

The group moved into the building Rick led the way and Daryl was right behind him with his crossbow held high. Dead bodies littered the floor and a few flies buzzed around. Daryl stood in front trying to listen for any sounds but all he could hear was Sophia's pitiful whines. Daryl clenched his jaw straining his ear to try and listen for groans or movements the whimpering hit him again. He wasn't about to lose his life because some dumb girl couldn't shut up. Daryl turned to face Sophia. "Put a sock in it!" Daryl hissed.

Carol grabbed Sophia tightly. "You leave her alone."

That made matters worse for Daryl. Carol never stood up to Ed but she'd gladly put him in his place. "You shut her up or I will!" Daryl growled. As soon as the words left his mouth he instantly regretted them.

"Leave her alone." Lori snapped. "She scared." Daryl swallowed hard and looked at the floor his shame showed on his face. Daryl felt sick in the pit of his stomach, he'd sounded like his old man. Is this how he would have treated Hope if she was scared? No. Daryl knew he'd never hurt Hope in anyway.

Rick looked around. "Barricade those doors. We'll take cover upstairs for the night and then make a plan from there."

The group continued down the corridors and found dead body after dead body. Daryl came across a door with the words _Prayer changes things _scrawled on the door. Daryl thought it must have been a church room he opened the door to find a dead man with a bullet hole through his head. "Pfft guess that didn't work so well for you did it Hoss?" Daryl muttered. Then it struck Daryl all these people had bullet wounds through their heads. This wasn't walkers it was an attack.

The group gathered back in the main room tables and chairs were overturned and scattered across the room. Dead bodies lay strewn across the floor. Daryl moved around the room looking at each body.

Rick stood in the centre of the room addressing everybody. "Upstairs is our best bet. We've cleared a few rooms but we can barricade them if we have to we'll be safe there."

Carol sat with Sophia on her lap the girl kept her eyes clamped on the floor trying not to look at the bodies. "You mean it this time? Or is it going to be like last time."

Lori placed her hands on her hips. "There's no need for that. It's not helping." Rick gave his wife a warm smile.

Glenn stood just staring ahead in shock. "What the hell happened?" Glenn asked in disbelief.

Andrea had her arms folded across her chest. "What do you think? They got overrun."

Daryl was now pacing like a caged tiger his mind was fitting together all the evidence in front of him. He took a glance at Andrea. "Pfttt."

Andrea looked at Daryl in disgust. "You got something to say?" Andrea had been through enough she wasn't going to be snorted at by some backwards redneck.

Daryl lent his body in Andrea's direction. "Yeah how bout observant."

Andrea raised her eyebrows. "Observant. Big word for a man like you three syllables." Andrea shot back smugly.

Rick looked back to Daryl he was interested in his opinion. "Walkers didn't do this. Geeks didn't get here 'till all this went down." Rick moved towards a corpse and looked closely at it. Daryl was right. "Somebody attacked this place. Killed all these people took what they wanted. All these people have been shot in the head execution style. I wouldn't be worried 'bout walkers I'd be much more worried about the people who did this." The whole group had fallen silent. Daryl slipped his crossbow back on his shoulder and glared at Andrea. "Get a dictionary...look it up...observant." Daryl left the room. Everyone stood silent and shocked they'd never noticed how smart Daryl was.

* * *

Night fell in the nursing home and the only food that had been left was one tin of beans. Daryl started opening the tin and passed it around.

"Have you got any water?" Sophia asked.

Shane pulled a bottle from his bag. "Go easy it's the only bottle left."

"What else you got in there?" Andrea asked.

Shane picked up a small pack of chips and shook them. "Thought I'd be having snacks in my air conditioned room in the CDC." Shane then pulled out a bottle of alcohol.

"Is that to share?" Daryl asked hopefully. Some alcohol is just what he needed right now. Daryl needed to forget everything.

Shane handed Daryl the bottle. "Since you saved my life I've decided I should be nicer to you."

Daryl smiled and opened the bottle he took a large swig and handed it back to Shane. Daryl found himself looking at Sophia, he felt bad for shouting at her earlier on. Daryl started thinking about Hope and he wondered if he'd ever see her again, or if his girl would ever reach Sophia's age. All those promises he'd made Hope and he'd not kept a single one. He'd let Hope get taken, he hadn't kept safe and to top it off he'd lost Merle. Daryl must have been staring for too long at Sophia because Carol frowned at him and pulled her daughter closer to her. Daryl sighed now people were going to add pervert to the list of things they thought he was. He looked at Andrea who sat with her legs pulled tight to her chest. Dale had brought her a plate of food and Daryl squinted. He felt bad she'd lost her sister but Daryl had lost his brother and not one of the group had a given him a second thought, there were no kind words about Merle and there wasn't one lick of sympathy given to Daryl.

Glenn sat shaking his head. "These people. Who would have done something like this? I mean even kill all the old people it's...its sick." Sophia started crying again.

Rick looked at Glenn. "Well let's all try and get some sleep." Rick stroked Carl's hair and walked out the room followed by the men.

The group of men stood outside Rick ran his hands through his hair. "Tomorrow we make our way to Fort Benning. We syphon the fuel we don't need and take fewer cars." The group agreed but Daryl knew as soon as he could he was going to break away from them and continue his search for his family. Nothing was going to stop him.

* * *

The Governor sat alone in his house. Merle had left as soon as Hope fell asleep. The Governor stood up and walked over to the crib Hope was sleeping with her butt in the air. He brushed his hand through her soft hair and smiled. Hope was the only thing he had left of his little sister. Maria had been pulled into a life of drugs and loose morals and the Governor had always sworn that he'd make the men who pulled her down into the dark abyss pay. Now here he was with Merle Dixon in the palm of his hand, he could make the giant man do whatever he whished and he loved it. The Governor bent down to Hope's ear. "I'm going to make your daddy an unstoppable killing machine. You know I couldn't have done this with out you my little darling." The Governor gently rubbed Hope's soft cheek. "Sweet dreams my little Hope."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing.**

**I've just seen pictures of Daryl holding baby Grimes, so cute. I knew he'd be soft with kids so maybe the Daryl form my fist story wasn't so OC after all. See I told you all throw a baby at someone and it changes everything. **

**Thank you to piratejessieswaby, Emberka-2012, CosplayerHikari, TwilightEclps, Brazen Hussy and LeanneDaseyLover. Thank you all you rock.**

**Please review.**

* * *

**Chapter 3.**

Merle had never been an early riser even after the outbreak hit Merle would sleep as late into the afternoon as he could and then stay up until the wee hours of the morning but today was different. Merle had got up at the crack of dawn and got dressed. Dressing himself was still a struggle he'd not bothered untying his boots when he took them off he'd just kicked them off his feet so he wouldn't have to re-tie them.

Merle now stood staring out of his window watching people slowly drip out on to the street to start their days work. The Governor instantly caught Merle's eye as he pushed a stroller down the road and stopped to talk to a geeky looking man with dark hair and glasses, Merle gave a snort as the man bent down and rubbed Hope's cheek. The stranger had no right to touch his girl. Rowan joined the two men she held a clipboard in one hand and she pointed too something on a piece of paper the Governor gave her a nod and said something. Merle noticed the man wearing the glasses frowned at the conversation and looked up at the window.

Merle stood back from the window. He didn't want to be seen, he didn't want people thinking that Hope affected him he didn't want to seem weak. Merle walked back to the bed he let his body fall on to the soft mattress. He laid for a moment with his arm covering his eyes. He thought about Daryl, he knew he should be out there trying to find his brother but Hope needed him now and she was his number one priority. A small knock came from the door and Merle rushed up from the bed too open it.

Rowan stood holding her clipboard tight to her chest. "Morning are you ready for today?" Merle frowned at the chipper woman no one should be that cheerful at such an early hour. "The Governor would like a word with you then it's time to get you settled." She whipped around and strode off almost bouncing as she walked.

Merle followed Rowan down the hallway like an obedient puppy his whole body buzzed with excitement at the thought of being with Hope. "Merle." The Governor called as the couple walked towards them. "I want you too meet Milton, he's our resident scientist." Merle didn't even look at Milton he just squatted down towards Hope and rubbed her nose.

Hope bounced in the stroller and touched Merle's stubble on his cheek she smiled and let out a little. "Oh." Merle smiled at the small noise he stood up and moved towards the back of the stroller almost knocking the Governor out the way. He placed his hand firmly on the stroller it was almost like he was staking claim to his girl.

The Governor moved to the front of the stroller he bent down and kissed the top of Hope's head. "Rowan will take you to your new home and then I will be by once you've settled in. We have business to discuss." He smiled at Hope. "Be good for daddy." Merle felt his stomach flip at the mention of the word daddy. It made him puff out his chest slightly with pride.

Rowan tapped her clipboard. "Come on time to go."

As Rowan led the way down the street Milton shot the Governor a nervous look. "Are you sure we can trust him...I mean do you want a man like that around here...around your niece?"

The Governor smiled. "Milton, Merle is an unstoppable beast and we can use him. Every tool box needs a hammer and Merle is ours."

Milton shrugged. "And what if the unstoppable beast turns on its master?" Milton knew men like Merle, they were bullies and degenerates he didn't want that type of man in Woodbury.

The Governor gave a smile. "It's amazing what a parent will do for its child. As long as we have Hope we hold the key to controlling Merle."

Merle and Rowan walked down the streets. People raked leaves and children played in the streets, it all seemed too normal for Merle but at this point in time he didn't care. "You know you're very lucky." Rowan broke the silence. "Most people have to house share but you've got your very own home." Merle just shrugged and Rowan gave him a smile. "Even Milton has to share. He has the upstairs of a house whilst Crowley lives downstairs from him. He's not happy." Merle felt a little smug about the news of receiving special treatment.

"Well it ain't my problem." Merle replied bluntly. "What about you honey bunch. You house share?" Merle's eyes roamed over her body. "Cause you can always come share ol' Merle's bed." Merle gave a small husky laugh.

Rowan didn't reply she just stopped in front of a small bungalow. From the outside the house looked nice and normal it was small and neat, its white wood work had become a dirty grey but it was a vast improvement from the tent Merle had been sharing with Daryl. Merle squatted in front of the stroller and unbuckled Hope, he then gave a small frown he had no idea how he was going to get her out.

"Now don't go fidgetin' squirt I don't wanna drop ya." Merle placed his right arm behind Hope's back and cradled his left hand under her butt then he hoisted her from the stroller.

The jerky movements didn't upset Hope at all she just let out a large. "Ah!" and a laugh.

Rowan laughed as she walked up the porch steps. "She's very vocal. Has she always been chatty?"

Merle thought about the months he and Daryl had Hope and smiled. "Yeah and she was as smart as a whip." Merle replied proudly.

Merle was led into the small house it looked like it had been recently cleaned. The front door led straight into the living room and the kitchen sat just behind that. Merle carried Hope carefully in to the living room looking around at the dimly lit room. A couch sat in the middle of the room Merle noticed Hope's toys had already been moved in and children's books sat on the bookcase. Rowan let Merle take in his new home before talking. "Well this is it. There's food in the kitchen as well as Hope's food, she starting to eat solids now. There's two bedrooms down the hall way and a bathroom. If there's anything else please don't hesitate to ask at all." Rowan walked over to Hope who was still wrapped in Merle's arms. "Bye, bye Hope, I'll see you later." Rowan gave Merle and Hope a wave as she disappeared from the house.

Merle sat down on the couch with Hope on his lap he looked into her overly large eyes and for the first time in months he felt peaceful. Merle gave a contented sigh he kept his right arm tucked behind Hope's back she seemed perfectly capable of holding herself in a sitting position but Merle didn't want her to see his bandaged nub. He didn't want to scare the child.

Hope grabbed at Merle's shirt and pulled herself slowly up his body. Merle supported her back as her legs and body wobbled. "Easy there squirt." Merle whispered. Hope placed her hands over Merle's face; she pulled and prodded at his face.

Hope poked Merle in the eye three times before he gave a little huff. His warm breath hit Hope's face and the small girl gave a little jump she moved her hands to Merle's mouth and patted her hands on his lips he kissed her hands and she squealed in delight and babbled. "Ba...Ba." Hope smiled and Merle noticed something, Hope had a couple of teeth.

Merle gave the girl a grin. "Look at those pearly whites girl." Merle was surprised it had taken him this long to notice. "So you eat food now as well huh? What else you do?" Hope clasped her hands together and looked at Merle. "Nah that's old news, seen it before." Merle sat Hope on the floor and the girl scrunched up her face she puckered up her lips and blew a raspberry at Merle. The noise made Merle roar with laughter. "Well that's new ain't it?" Merle pulled his body forward and leant towards Hope. He draped his right arm across his leg and used his left hand to play with Hope's hair. "Y'know squirt as soon as we find Daryl we'll head out and find a quiet place together. Just the three of us."

To Merle's surprise Hope lurched forward she grabbed his pants leg and pulled herself up. Hope grabbed Merle's nub her tiny hands made contact with the bandage and Merle winced with pain and gave a small moan. Hope looked up at Merle and her bottom lip quivered it was as if knew she'd caused him pain and it upset her. Hope placed her head forward and placed her mouth on the bandage Merle smiled his girl was trying to kiss his nub better but all she was doing was dribbling all over the dressing.

"Children and animals are the only things too love unconditionally." The Governor's voice made Merle turn towards the front door. The Governor stood with his hands on his hips. "The only thing they're looking for is love in return." The Governor walked into the room and Merle scooped Hope up and held her on his lap. "You're safe in the knowledge that Hope loves you and all she wants from you is your love and protection. It's lucky really you both found such a safe place here." The Governor looked at Merle and sat down next to him, his cold blue eyes burnt into Merle making him feel uneasy. Merle glared back no one intimidated Merle Dixon he wrapped his arms tighter around Hope. "You were cold towards Milton this morning. I'm going to visit him and I think it would be good if you came with me." The Governor watched Hope pull at Merle's bandage. "Extend the olive branch."

Merle gave a snort and Hope swivelled her head to look at Merle she tried to copy the snorting noise that Merle had made. Merle smiled. "I'm good here me and his kind don't mix." Merle gave the Governor a cold hard stare. "I don't apologise and I ain't startin' now." Merle said firmly.

The Governor stood up. "Well then maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe you're not ready to join the community of Woodbury and if you're not ready to join us it would lead me to believe you're not ready to be Hope's full time caregiver." The Governor felt a sense of smug satisfaction as he saw the fear and panic show in Merle's face.

Merle felt sick at the though of losing Hope. "No I'm okay. I'll go see the man with you but what about squirt?" Merle didn't like the fact the Governor had a hold over him but he could see no other way out of the predicament.

"Don't worry I've asked Rowan to come and look after Hope whilst we're busy." The Governor placed his hands in his pockets and gave Merle a twisted smile.

* * *

Daryl looked at his old truck and felt a pang of sadness. The old vehicle was filled with memories of Hope and it was breaking Daryl's heart to leave it but then he didn't want to abandon Merle's bike either it was the last link he had to his bother. Daryl watched the group gather gas and lose vehicles they no longer needed. He placed his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small silver charm bracelet, he ran his hand over the small heart with Hope's name on it. "Daddy's gonna find ya bug." He carefully placed the bracelet back in his pocket and mounted the bike. As Daryl rolled the bike forward he looked up and caught Sophia's eye. The girl looked at him nervously whilst Carol helped her remove her sweater. Daryl just gave her a small nod he wanted to apologise to her but he knew his presence made her uneasy. Daryl felt frustrated and useless if a grown man had told his daughter to put a sock in it he would have knocked his teeth out for him.

"Ready?" Rick called out to Daryl. Daryl just gave a nod and the convoy pulled off.

Daryl took the lead his bike roared down the road. Daryl had decided he'd get the group to Fort Benning and then leave them. They were good people they had their faults but then so did he and Daryl knew if he wasn't there to hunt and feed them they wouldn't last long. Daryl slowed down as he reached the highway; cars were strewn across the road. Dale gave him a wave and Daryl drove back towards the RV. "Can you find away through?" Dale asked.

Daryl just gave a nod a rode on. He found it easy enough to weave in-between the vehicles leading the others through the maze of abandoned cars. A loud band and hissing caught Daryl's attention he turned his head to pinpoint the problem, it was the RV again.

"What's wrong?" Shane called out to Dale.

"It's the hose I told you it wouldn't last long." Dale shook his head. "And it's not like we can just find one here."

Daryl had already busied himself by going through the trunk of a car. "We can find hundreds of things here." Daryl piped up pulling clothes and food from the trunk of the car.

"This is a graveyard." Lori replied coolly. Daryl stopped for a moment and looked at the woman. Where Lori saw a graveyard Daryl saw a life. The food alone would keep them going for a few more days and the clothes would keep them warm in the cold nights.

Rick looked around. "Scavenge what we need." Daryl gave a nod and started making his way up the highway.

Daryl walked past car after car a small silver Volvo caught Daryl's eye it had a bumper sticker that read _Baby on Board!_ Daryl felt his palms get clammy and his heart started to beat violently against his rib cage. Any of these cars could have belonged to the Blake's and he wouldn't know. They could have got caught up in the traffic jam fleeing the city. Panicked voices made Daryl turn around and the group had started to hide under vehicles as a large herd approached them. Daryl ducked down behind a car out of sight waiting for the flood of walkers to reach him.

Daryl was bent down low when he noticed T-Dogg slowly jogging past him holding his arm. Blood ran down his arm leaving a crimson trail on the ground behind him. A walker had got hold of T-Dogg's scent and there was no way out for the man. Daryl knew he had two choices save T-Dogg or leave the man to die. T-Dogg was one of the reasons Merle had been left chained to the roof top in Atlanta but then he'd also been one of the only ones to offer Daryl help. Daryl's instincts took over his whole body, he crept forward moving close to the ground. Daryl placed his crossbow on the hood of a car and grabbed a screwdriver; he made eye contact with T-Dogg. T-Dogg was about to speak fear filled the man's eyes as he saw Daryl prowling towards him like a jungle cat. Daryl placed his finger too his lips to silence T-Dogg and the man gave Daryl a small fearful nod. Daryl ran forward and grabbed the walker driving the screwdriver deep into the creature's brain it fell to the floor. Daryl moved over to T-Dogg and pulled him flat on the floor he then pulled the freshly killed walker on top of the man to cover his scent from the oncoming herd. Daryl opened the car next to him he pulled out a corpse and laid on the floor placing the dead body on top of him. A flurry of feet stumbled past him and all Daryl could do was wait.

It was only minutes but it felt like hours passed it was Sophia's screams that made Daryl jump up. He pulled the dead walker off T-Dogg and sat him up. Once he was sure T-Dogg was okay Daryl ran back to the group to see Lori holding Carol. "Sophia." Carol sobbed. Daryl jumped up on a car roof to try and pinpoint the girl and Rick but it was useless all he could see was trees.

Daryl looked down at the group Carol's tiny sobs and whines were heart-breaking he knew how hard it was too lose a child. Daryl jumped down from the car and landed gracefully on the floor, he was just about to go into the woods and start searching himself when Rick came in to view. Rick pulled his dirty sweaty body up the large bank he looked up at Lori. "Is she here?" He panted. Lori shook her head and Carol buried her face in to Lori's shoulder and sobbed harder.

Daryl moved to the front of the group. "I can track her." Daryl nodded towards the woods. "She can't have gone far."

Rick gave a nod. "Okay Daryl, Glenn and Shane come with me." The four men entered the woods. Daryl was leading the group his eyes picking up every trace of Sophia's footsteps. He was going to find this girl; he wasn't going to let another child down. He knew what losing a child took from you, that sort of loss broke your soul and Daryl didn't want another person to feel that numb and dead inside, especially not a person as warm and caring as Carol.

* * *

Merle stood in a dimly lit lab. Milton had thrown him a look of disgust as soon as he'd entered and Merle had mirrored the look back at him. Merle looked around at all the equipment Merle went to touch a large whirring machine. "Uh...don't touch that." Milton snapped.

Merle puffed out his chest and pulled his body to its full size. Merle was a picture of pure intimidation. "Or what?" Merle spat. "You gonna tell on me you pencil neck dick." Merle let his hand linger over the machine he stared at Milton his fingers getting ever closer to the buttons on the machine. His lips were twisted into a snarl and his eyes flickered with pure menace. He wanted Milton to challenge him. Merle wanted to vent his anger out on someone.

"I hope you boys are playing nice." The Governor walked into the lab and Merle pulled his hand back down to his side. "This is our lab." The Governor walked towards Milton. "Milton here experiments on the biters."

Merle scrunched up his face he found the concept sickening. "Why the hell do you wanna do that?" Merle asked.

The Governor smiled. "I like to know everything about my enemies." The Governor picked up an object off the table in front of Milton. "Milton made you something." The Governor walked towards Merle. "May I?" He asked whilst pointing to Merle's right arm. Merle obediently lifted his arm and the Governor slipped a metal wrist guard over the stub. "It protects your wrist and there's even an attachment for a knife." The Governor walked back to Milton's table and slipped the knife on to the wrist guard.

Merle didn't know what to say he just stood looking down at the apparatus on his wrist. "Uh...thanks." Merle said in a low tone.

The Governor placed his hand on Merle's back. "No need for thanks. Now Milton needs more specimens so I need you Shupert and Crowley to go and collect some." The Governor started to fix a small model of Woodbury that sat on a table. He turned his head towards Merle. "We need the brains intact."

Merle shifted on the spot uncomfortably. "How..."

The Governor stood up and glared at Merle. "I...need...the...brains...intact." He repeated slowly. Merle gave a firm nod. "I'll walk you to the gate."

Shupert and Crowley were waiting patiently at the gate in a jeep. The Governor opened the door for Merle and addressed the other men. "Merle knows what I need follow his instruction." The Governor patted Merle on the back. "Be back before dusk." Merle just gave a small grunt he wanted to get home as quickly as possible to spend time with Hope. Merle climbed into the jeep and the gates opened.

The Governor watched the jeep speed away and he started to walk down the street towards Merle's house. He gave a little hum as he nodded to a pretty redhead who giggled and blushed. The Governor climbed the steps to Merle's house and opened the door.

Rowan was on the floor playing with Hope. "How's my girl?" He asked.

Rowan gave the Governor a smile. "Me or Hope?" She enquired playfully.

The question made the Governor smile Rowan actually thought he cared for her. The truth was there was only one girl that he gave a damn about. "Well both of you my dear." He lied. "Why don't you go and wait for me at mine and I'll keep Hope company." He gave the woman a sickly sweet smile.

Rowan stood up and smiled at the Governor. "Okay but don't be too long I miss you." She gave the man a wink as she left the house.

The Governor turned his attention to Hope he sat down next to the girl. Hope was holding a large building block she offered it to the Governor and made a babbling noise at him. He took the block and smiled. "You know you look more and more like your mother everyday." He rubbed his finger softly down Hope's cheek. "I'm sorry for leaving you with a monster princess but trust me as soon as he fulfils his purpose we won't need him anymore." The Governor picked up Hope and pulled her on to his lap. "He doesn't deserve you." He lifted Hope to his face and kissed her cheek. "He doesn't deserve to be a father but I need him for the moment so we're going to have to be patient and wait." Hope poked the Governor in the eye and he roughly grabbed her tiny wrist. "That's enough of that now." He placed Hope back on the floor and stood up.

The front door opened and Merle walked in. "Got six of 'em." Merle said quickly he rushed past the Governor and picked up Hope. "Daddy's home squirt." Hope whined and Merle looked down at the small girl she was struggling to get to Merle's face. Merle lowered his head to Hope and she pushed her mouth on to his chin leaving it coated in dribble. Merle placed his mouth close to Hope's ear but his eyes were firmly clamped on the Governor. "I love you squirt." Merle whispered softly, the words were for he ears only.

The Governor watched Merle his body looked tense and he held a dangerous look in his eyes. The Governor thought it would be best to leave; there was only so much prodding Merle would take in one day before he was bound to turn on him. "Well." The Governor gave a fake smile. "I've got business to attend to I hope you enjoy the rest of the day." The Governor left Merle and Hope alone in the small house.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Emberka-2012, LeanneDaseyLover, Brazen Hussy, DeviantDames and the guest that reviewed.**

* * *

**Chapter 4.**

It was just Daryl and Rick now in the woods. Rick had sent Glenn and Shane back to keep the group calm. Daryl knew there was very little chance of calming Carol down at this moment in time. Rick ran he hands through his hair and desperately looked down at the floor. "The trails gone cold." Daryl looked at Rick the panic showed in every inch of his body.

Daryl bent down. "Nah it's faint but it's still here." Daryl remarked.

Rick seemed impressed with Daryl's skill. "How did you see that?"

"You want a lesson in trackin' or you wanna find the girl." Daryl answered bluntly. He liked Rick the man had done right by him and Merle but he didn't want Rick asking questions and pushing his nose into his life. He wasn't ready to talk about Hope, if he spoke about his girl it would make the loss somehow real and Daryl wasn't ready to cope with that at this moment in time.

Rick fell silent and the men carried on moving through the woods. Daryl stopped and cocked his head listening to the noises of the woods. Rick watched the rugged man squint and listen to things Rick couldn't hear. Daryl's gaze then swiftly dropped back down too the floor and he started moving again. Rick didn't understand why Daryl was helping. Daryl seemed just as desperate as him too find Sophia Daryl was searching for her with as much determination as he had when he searched for Merle in Atlanta.

"Why are you doing this?" Rick asked.

Daryl stopped and stood with his back to Rick not knowing what to tell the man. He didn't want to tell him the truth; he didn't want Rick to pity him. "You helped me with Merle." Daryl lied. "But let's make one thing clear once we locate the girl I'm gone I ain't stickin' around. You got that?"

Rick just nodded there was something about Daryl's reason that didn't sit right with him finding Sophia meant something more to him, she seemed to be more than just a lost kid. Daryl and Sophia barley spoke to each other as far as Rick knew so the way the redneck was acting was completely off key.

Daryl gave Rick a light whistle as a walker with long scraggly hair walked a few feet in front of them. Daryl looked at Rick and gave him a hand signal to move forward.

Rick took off running towards the walker. He stopped and raised his gun he gave a loud whistle making the walker turn to face him. The beast roared and Daryl took it down with an arrow to the head. The men walked over to the dead body and Rick started to examine it.

"It's got fresh flesh between its teeth." Rick pointed out. "We're gonna have to cut it open and make sure it's not Sophia." Rick stood above that dead walker with his knife held high.

Daryl watched him and noticed how uncomfortable he looked at the prospect of gutting the walker Rick's knife just hovered in mid air. "I'll do it." Daryl pushed Rick to one side. "My knife's sharper and how many kills you gut and skin anyway?" Daryl dug his knife in deep and made a deep cut. He rummaged around inside the corpse working as quick as he could not wanting to think about the idea of the stinking monster killing a child. Rick heaved and covered his face as Daryl pulled out the insides and placed them on the ground. Daryl gave a sly smirk the smell was bad but Daryl had smelt much worse. _"Bet you didn't change too many diapers."_ Daryl thought to himself. "The gut sack." Daryl announced placing the black mass by Rick's knee.

"I got this." Rick said. He had watched Daryl go through the whole gruesome autopsy; Rick knew it was his turn to step up. Rick cut the gut sack open and Daryl pulled out a small jaw with large buck teeth on out with his knife.

"Sick bastard had a woodchuck for lunch." Rick noticed the relief in Daryl's voice. Daryl looked around him; he noticed how quickly the light was fading. "It's gettin' dark." Daryl flicked the remains off his knife. "We ain't gonna find her in the dark."

Rick clenched his jaw and nodded sadly in agreement. "Let's head back pick up the search first light."

Daryl and Rick started walking back towards the highway both men walked in tandem. "We'll find her." Daryl said gruffly. "Kids adapt better than us, so I've been told."

Rick gave a weak smile. "Yeah I remember Carl's first day of school I was worse than he was I nearly cried leaving him at the school gate but he just ran in to class he didn't even look back." Daryl gave a small smile he wanted to share stories of fatherhood with Rick but he didn't want to be known as the failure that got his kid taken away. Rick looked at Daryl. "I promised her she'd be safe."

Daryl felt a pang of guilt he'd made the same promise too Hope. "We'll find her." Daryl replied firmly the guilt hit again he'd told Merle the same thing, that they'd find Hope but instead he lost them both.

The men made their way up the bank and on to the highway. Carol wailed as she noticed her child wasn't with the men.

Rick placed his hand on his hips trying to catch his breath. "We couldn't find her but we'll start again in the morning."

"You left her out there!" Carol screamed.

Daryl felt bad for Rick the man had tried his hardest to find her kid. "It ain't no good looking in the dark." Daryl shot back. "We'll all end up gettin' lost."

Carol looked at the men and noticed their bloody shirts. "Is that blood?" She wept.

Daryl looked at Rick and then down at the floor he felt like a failure. "We found a walker and cut it open just to make sure." Rick answered.

Carol's body collapsed into Lori's and Lori guided her gently away. Daryl felt sick he now has to go and sleep in the RV with the woman he'd failed. He made a silent promise to himself he wouldn't leave this group not until Carol was reunited with Sophia.

* * *

It was early morning and Merle wasn't in the best of moods. Hope had woken up at an ungodly hour screaming at the top of her lungs until Merle picked her up. He was so used to Daryl doing most of the early mornings with Hope that Merle wasn't used to the rude awakening. Changing Hope's diaper with only one hand had led to further frustration and it didn't help that Hope moved around a lot more now so just when he thought he'd got the diaper secure Hope would roll or wiggle and it would come lose. At this rate Merle was going too learn how to make fabric diapers he couldn't wait until Hope was potty trained.

Merle had now left Hope in the living room whilst he made his own breakfast he listened to Hope babbling too her stuffed bear and for a moment he felt calm. Merle was finding it hard to juggle the demands of raising Hope on his own and trying to keep on the Governors good side.

Merle walked into the living room and placed his bowl of oatmeal on the floor he then took a seat next to Hope. As soon as Merle sat down next to her Hope smiled and clapped. Merle started eating his oatmeal and Hope looked up at him with her mouth open. "Get lost squirt you've just has your food you ain't gettin' mine."

It was almost as if Hope understood Merle because she placed both her small hands on his leg and pulled her body closer to him. Merle smiled at his girl's boldness, Hope then placed one of her chubby hands right into Merle's bowl and placed her hand in her mouth making an "mmmmmm" sound.

"Hey that's mine." Merle chuckled as Hope went for another handful. This time she reached her hand towards Merle's mouth. "Well thank you sweetheart." Merle bent down and placed Hope's hand in his mouth and the girl cackled.

Merle carefully placed his bowl on his left leg and with his one hand he picked up Hope and placed her on his right leg placing his damaged arm behind her. Merle picked up the spoon and went to put it to Hope's mouth but the girl didn't want the spoon she knocked it away from her mouth with force causing the oatmeal to fly off the spoon and land on the floor. Hope rammed both hands in the bowl and clapped making the food squelch in her hand making her laugh again. Merle bent his head to kiss her and she clapped her hands against his cheeks giving Merle two oatmeal imprints on either side of his face. Merle took revenge by placing his finger in the bowl and rubbing it down his girl's nose. Hope went bog eyed and bounced her body on his leg she grabbed two more fistfuls of food. Hope threw her hands in the air and oatmeal flew around the room Merle got covered in the food, it had stuck to his face, covered his shirt and sat in his hair.

Merle grinned at Hope. "So its war you want is it squirt?" Merle picked up the bowl and Hope's eyes followed it as her arms reached up to grab it. Merle tipped the bowl upside down and placed it on Hope's head. Oatmeal ran down her face as she bounced and squealed.

"I really don't think that's a wise way to use food. Do you?" Rowan was standing in the doorway with her hands on her hips and tapping her foot against the floor.

Merle winked at Hope. "Uh-oh squirt looks like Mary Poppins is gonna kick off." Hope just patted the bowl on her head and started babbling at Rowan whilst pointing at Merle. "Whoa squirt don't go blamin' me." Merle rubbed some oatmeal of Hope's face and ate it. "Let me tell ya somethin' I used to tell Daryl….snitches get stitches." Hope just blew a large raspberry at Merle. "You're lucky you're cute or I'd have to teach you a lesson for sassin' me." Merle kissed Hope's cheek and she giggled.

Rowan couldn't help but smile at the messy sight in front of her. She wanted to be angry because she had to clean the mess up but looking at Merle and Hope covered in oatmeal was just heart-warming.

Merle looked up at Rowan. "C'mon sweetheart crack a smile you look prettier when ya smile." Rowan bit her lip and smiled. "That's better honeybuns." A loud scream came from outside. "Grab squirt." Merle yelled.

Rowan picked up Hope and the girl started to cry. Merle grabbed his gun and his knife attachment off of the table and ran outside.

Two biters had made their way into the town and had a woman and her child cornered their teeth gnashed at the frightened pair. Merle ran forward he raised his gun and shot one of the biters he then turned and rammed his knife straight up through the jaw of the other. He kicked the monster off his knife and wiped the knife on his shirt. Merle looked at the woman. "You bit or scratched?" He asked quickly.

"No...no we're fine thank you." The woman hugged Merle. "You're Merle right? The new man." Merle just nodded he thought he must have been a right sight standing there covered in oatmeal and blood. "I'm Lola thank you. Woodbury is lucky to have you Merle." The woman walked away and a sense of pride started to swell in Merle it had been a long time since Merle had been made to feel wanted and useful, he liked it. Merle turned around and looked towards his house Rowan stood holding Hope. Rowan smiled at Merle and Hope reached out towards Merle squealing at him.

Two of the Woodbury guards came running up the street followed by the Governor. "Take those bodies away." The Governor ordered the guards; he then patted Merle firmly on the back. "We were lucky you were here." The Governor looked at Merle and then at Hope. "So which one of you didn't like breakfast." He joked Merle gave a small grin and walked towards Hope and Rowan with the Governor. "You know Merle you've only been here a short time and you're already making the community feel safer you're an asset too me and to Woodbury."

Merle wanted to take Hope from Rowan but didn't want to accidentally hurt her with his knife. "Just protecting my girl." Merle replied honestly whilst picking clumps of food out of Hope's hair. "Squirt I think daddy needs to bath ya." Merle moved past Rowan and took off his knife. "C'mon come to daddy." Merle cooed.

Governor placed his hands in his pockets. "Once you're done why don't you swing by mine I have a few things I'd like too run by you."

Merle had Hope's hands in his mouth and he was pretending to chew on them. He pulled her hands out making Hope whine. "Sure thing boss." Hope smacked Merle in the face and Merle grabbed her hand and laughed huskily. "That's the Dixon right hook." He remarked.

The Governor frowned at Hope's display of violence. "Bring Hope with you if you like."

Merle just gave a nod. "You like that squirt? You wanna go hang out at with ya uncle." Hope babbled and Merle disappeared into the house leaving Rowan on the porch.

The Governor stood staring in through the open door his anger rose at the thought of some useless redneck having a daughter but he'd managed to lose his to the virus. The Governor thought that life was unfair he started to wonder if it was worth keeping Merle around. If Merle was to have an unfortunate accident then he'd get to raise Hope as his own. The Governor took a deep breath and gave a polite nod to Rowan before walking away.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Emberka-2012, Annelisa, LeanneDaseyLover,** **FanFicGirl10, Brazen Hussy, DeviantDames and BeingLolaStar.**

**Please review.**

* * *

**Chapter 5.**

The Governor watched Merle push Hope's stroller down the street and towards his house. The Governor hated Merle but he hated the fact that he needed Merle more.

A small whimper came from the corner of the Governor's dimly lit room. "Shut up." He growled turning to look at a woman gagged and bound in the corner of the room. "You think I enjoy this?" The Governor grabbed the woman by the hair and pulled her face up to his. Tears spilled down the petrified woman's face. "You brought this on yourself Lily." There was a knock at the door and the Governor released the woman letting her body hit the floor. "Who is it?"

"It's Merle." The Governor heard a large babbling and Merle's husky laughter. "And Hope."

The Governor straightened himself up. "It's open."

Merle walked into the house with Hope in his arms. The small girl had now found Merle's ears her little hands tugged at them and when she discovered they were stuck she started to scream at Merle. "Well I ain't Mr Potato Head." The whimpering woman caught Merle's attention he looked at the Governor questioningly. "What's this about?" Merle swivelled his body away from the captive woman he didn't want Hope to see her and get upset.

The Governor gave a small twisted smile. "Merle this is Lily she was caught breaking the rules." The Governor walked over too Lily. "She brought an outsider to Woodbury. An outsider who then let in a couple of biters." Lily was trying to talk through her gag but it was useless. "She now needs to be punished."

Merle looked at the squirming woman with a hint of sadness. "And why do you need me?" Merle asked pulling Hope closer to his body.

The Governor picked up machete. "Because as my right hand man I need you to carry out the execution."

The Governor watched Merle staring at the woman on the floor. "But I got squirt with me." Merle would do what he had too to stay in Woodbury but he wasn't going to kill someone in front of Hope.

The Governor gave a small laugh. "Merle I'm not asking you to kill her in here." He shook his head. "Blood is hard to get out of the floor. I'll take Hope." The Governor stretched his arms out and Merle automatically handed the child to him. "You can execute her outback." Merle pulled the woman to her feet he used his body to block her from Hope's view. Merle went to grab his gun. "Merle." Merle turned to look at the Governor. "I want her brain intact."

Merle took a deep breath and picked up machete and prodded the woman forward. The woman gave another sob as Merle led her out to the small garden area. "Get on your knees." Merle instructed. Lily dropped to her knees she looked at Merle her eyes pleading with him. "I gotta do this for my girl." Merle muttered.

Merle moved behind Lily his plan was too break her neck that way she'd be dead instantly, then he could remove her head. Merle took a deep breath. _"She deserves this."_ Merle told himself. _"She let in biters and they could have hurt Hope. You're doin' this for squirt."_ Merle placed his right arm around Lily's neck, his left hand went on her forehead and with one swift hard turn Merle heard the crack of bone. He let go of Lily and her body fell to the floor. Merle picked up the machete and started the task of removing Lily's head.

After a few hard chops the head came away from the body. Merle picked up the decapitated head he felt disgusted in himself. Merle had never hit a woman before and now here he was murdering one. Merle looked at the head, Lily's cold dead eyes still showed her fear. "I'm sorry." Merle muttered. He placed the head on the garden table there was no way in hell he'd take the sick trophy into the house with Hope. His girl was only going to know a world of happiness and love, even if her daddy was the monster in the closet.

* * *

Daryl led the small group through the Georgian woods. Rick and Shane had taken Carl to carry on the search whilst Daryl led the others back to the RV. Daryl had found the idea frustrating. Rick and Shane weren't trackers and with his mind on looking after the women and Glenn Daryl couldn't concentrate fully on tracking. Not to mention the mindless chatter the women insisted on.

Andrea's words caught Daryl's attention. "We're all hoping and praying with you. For what it's worth" Daryl knew hoping and praying were worth jack shit. He'd hoped that Merle would find Hope in Atlanta instead he lost his brother and on numerous nights he'd prayed to every God he could name for his baby girl too be returned to him and all he received was heartache. Daryl knew there was only one thing he could count on and that was himself.

Daryl turned to face the women. "It ain't worth shit all this hopin' and prayin' we're gonna locate this girl and she's gonna be fine. Am I the only one with any zen?" Daryl snorted. "Good Lord." Daryl turned and carried on walking through the woods.

Daryl's words seemed to calm the small group but the serenity only lasted for seconds as the sound of a single gunshot caused panic to ripple through the group. Daryl cursed under his breath the women were already as skittish as rabbits adding loud noises didn't help the situation. Daryl caught Glenn's eye but the Korean looked just as panicked as the women.

"What was that?" Carol looked around she grabbed hold of Lori's arm.

Daryl was starting to get frustrated all he wanted too do was carrying on tracking Sophia and here he was babysitting a bunch of adults. "Maybe Rick or Shane shot a walker." Daryl replied calmly.

Lori frowned. "They wouldn't risk using a gun for one walker."

Daryl huffed couldn't Lori see he was just trying to calm Carol down the woman had just lost her daughter. "Let's just keep movin'." Daryl instructed. The quicker he got the women back to the highway the quicker he could continue the search by himself.

As the group started to move back towards the highway Daryl noticed some small fresh tracks in the dirt. Daryl looked around at the group. Rick had instructed him to take them back to the highway but the tracks led off in the opposite direction. Daryl stood up straight he had two choices, he could take them back to the RV and sit twiddling his thumbs until Rick and Shane return empty handed or he could lead the group further into the woods, follow the tracks and locate Sophia. "This way." Daryl called as he started to follow the fresh tracks.

Daryl kept his head down as his eyes followed every trace that the lost girl had left behind. Daryl could read every step and every stumble Sophia had made. A high pitch scream broke Daryl's concentration. Daryl looked around and noticed that Andrea was no longer with the group. "Damn these women are worse than kids." Daryl muttered.

Daryl ran through the woods with Carol, Lori and Glenn close behind him. Andrea was on her back trying to fight off a walker clawing down at her just as Daryl raised his crossbow a woman came flying through the woods on a large brown horse, she slammed a bat full force into the walkers head sending it slamming on to the floor.

Daryl gave an impressed smile at the woman. She was beautiful and strong like a modern day Xena. "Is one of you Lori?" The woman asked.

"I am." Lori replied.

The woman stretched out her hand too Lori. "Rick sent me. Get on."

Lori ran forward Daryl couldn't believe how stupid Lori was being this woman could be anyone and Rick had left Daryl in charge of the group. "We don't know that woman!" Daryl stated as Lori took the woman's hand. "You can't get on that horse!"

The woman helped Lori on to the horse. "Your group on the highway turn back and travel down the road until you come to a mailbox that says Greene." With that the woman rode off with Lori.

Daryl was frustrated not only had he now lost Lori too a stranger but now he had to escort the rest of the group back to the highway. Daryl turned his head back in the direction of the tracks as the walker on the ground groaned and started to rise. "Shut up!" Daryl snapped as he sent an arrow flying through the walker's skull. He stomped off in the direction of the highway knowing that by the time he would be able to return the tracks would be faded and Sophia would have slipped further away from him.

* * *

After Lily's disposal Merle had gone straight home with Hope. It didn't seem to matter what terrible grizzly deeds the Governor gave Merle as soon as he was in the presence of his little girl Merle felt like his soul could be saved by Hope's pureness.

Merle had dressed Hope ready for bed. He stood in his living room cradling Hope on his shoulder. The baby girl had started to get slightly whiny as she fought the need to sleep. "Story time squirt." Merle yawned. "Let's see what we got." Merle looked at all the books that sat on the large bookcase his eyes wandered over the spines of each book. "Cinderella, Snow white, Sleepin' beauty." Merle gave a small huff. "These girls ain't roll models I want ya to have." Hope started to whine again. "Fine." Merle walked over to the couch and let his tired body sink into the soft plush cushions. "I'll tell ya a story."

Merle wrapped his damaged arm around Hope and held her tiny body close too his chest whilst he positioned his body in to laying position on the couch. "Hang on sweetheart daddy's gotta get comfy." Merle wiggled around making Hope wiggle and giggle. Merle stopped moving and loosened his grip on Hope. "There ya go baby. Now let's see a story." Merle started to think of stories he could tell Hope. He soon realised he knew very little children stories.

Hope pulled herself up on her arms and stared at Merle, she rocked back and forth. "Baaaaa!" Hope squealed loudly.

Merle looked into her large blue eyes and smiled. "'Kay queen fuss pot daddy's got a story." Merle moved his good hand into Hope's hair and twisted the soft fine curl around his fingers. "I'm gonna tell you bout how I first got sent too Juvy. It was a few years after your grandma's death and your gramps never left food for me an' your uncle Daryl so I used too have to go and get a five finger discount at the store. I got caught a few times and after the tenth time the pigs said next time I got caught I'd be in serious trouble." Hope gave a small yawn and her tiny arms wobbled. "Now one day I was sittin' at home watchin' TV cause I was throw outta school for causin' trouble...but that's a different story. Now Daryl comes in with his head bowed low and I could tell he'd been cryin' so I ask him what's wrong. At first he says nothin' but then I notice he's got no shoes on and a nasty cut on his face." Hope's arms sank onto Merle's chest and her eyes kept fluttering open and close. "I told Daryl that if he didn't tell me who done it I'd whoop his ass harder so in the end he gave me the kids name, Jack Sheen. Now this Jack he was two years older than Daryl and a right little shit. He picked on Daryl cause our ma was dead and Daryl wore hand me down clothes, so undecided to teach the shit a lesson." Merle gave a large yawn as he carried on playing with Hope's hair. "So I took my car and waited outside Jack's house until the boy came out. The little prick came out carrying a trash bag lookin' all smug so I step out my car all quiet like." Merle gave a husky laugh. "Then I chuck a sack over his head and bundled him in to my trunk. The kid fuckin' pissed his pants. So I drive down to this cornfield two miles from his house and drag him right into the middle of the field." Hope's thumb worked its way into her mouth and her spare hand started to rub against Merle's stubble. "I pull off the sack and this kid is cryin' for his mommy like a baby. I throw a few punches and shove an ear of corn in his mouth to shut him up. Then I tied him to the scarecrow post and left him there." Hope gave a gentle snore and Merle smiled. "That fucker stayed tied in the field all night and in the morning the police came to arrest me. I didn't care I was lookin' out for my baby brother, even when they said I was gonna be locked up I didn't care." Merle yawned and closed his eyes. "Family is family I'd do it again." Merle's head flopped to the side and he drifted off to sleep with Hope on his chest. Both Dixon's fell into a world of dreams. Hope's dreams were filled with magical colours, beautiful shapes and the giant man who held her heart. Merle's dreams were filled with darkness, blood and murder. Merle muttered in his sleep and Hope placed her hand automatically on his cheek the feel and smell of his girl somehow brought a shard of light too Merle's nightmares.


	6. Chapter 6

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Emberka-2012, Brazen Hussy, FanFicGirl10, Annelisa and DeviantDames.**

**FanFicGirl10 no it hasn't been confirmed that Merle is Hope's dad. Merle has just started saying he's the daddy. It's me being nasty because in the next couple of chapters there is going to be a Dixon brother reunion.**

* * *

**Chapter 6.**

Merle lay on his stomach on the living room floor watching Hope crawl around him. He'd become like a human play mat for the child. Hope pulled on his ears, poked him in the eyes and left a trail of dribble from his forehead to his chin but Merle didn't care. He also didn't care when Hope crawled over his body an accidentally gave him a head-butt too the back of his head. He just laughed at his baby girl.

Hope crawled away from Merle and he whistled at her. Hope looked over her shoulder at Merle and rocked her body back and forth. "Daaaaaaa." She squealed.

Merle whistled again and Hope started crawling back over too Merle. She stopped right in front of his face and placed her head on his. "Daaaaaa." Dribble ran down her chin.

A small spider ran from under the table and across Hope's tiny hands. It made the child jump and Hope started to cry. Hope's tears of fear angered Merle; nothing was going to make his baby cry.

Merle lifted his huge hand and slammed it down on the spider killing it outright. "There you go squirt the mean spiders gone." Hope stopped crying and looked at Merle's hand.

Hope pointed at Merle's hand sitting palm down on the wooden floor. "Daaaaaa." She yelled.

Merle sat up and rubbed the remains of the spider over his pants. Hope moved forward to examine the black and red stain; before she could touch it Merle picked her up and placed her on his lap. "Daddy will stomp any amount of ass for you baby." Merle kissed her chubby cheeks.

Hope looked at Merle and gave him a large smile, that one smile was worth a thousand words to Merle. The little girls hand shot up to Merle's face and Hope rammed her finger up Merle's nose. "Hey." Merle laughed. "Listen. You can pick your friends and you can pick ya nose but you can't pick ya friends nose."

A small laugh came from the doorway. Merle knew the laugh it was Rowan. "Morning you two." She chuckled. Rowan watched Merle kiss Hope's face. "Time for daddy too go to work." Rowan sat next too Merle. She couldn't help but catch a glimpse of the sadness in Merle's eyes. The man was an unstoppable beast, Rowan had seen him in action but when it came to Hope he was as soft as a kitten.

"What you lookin' at woman." Merle snapped. He didn't appreciate people staring at him like a monkey in the zoo.

"Nothing." Rowan answered quickly she blushed and looked down at the floor.

Merle smirked he was fully aware that Rowan was embarrassed. A gentleman would leave the woman alone but Merle Dixon was no gentleman. "Now c'mon sweet ass don't be shy. If you wanna ride on ol' Merle just say." Rowan went a deeper shade of red and Merle smirked. "I'll pop the squirt down for a nap and we can bump uglies."

Rowan didn't know where to look or what to say. "Uh...the Governor told me to come and get you he's going to babysit Hope when you go scavenging." Rowan quickly stood up and exited the house knocking over a lamp on her way out. She stood on Merle's doorstep and exhaled. Merle maybe a soft touch when it came to his Hope but everyone else was just an annoyance to him.

* * *

Daryl and the rest of the group had made it to the farm. Rick stepped out of the house he looked like a ghost, it wasn't just the fact that he was whiter that a sheet it was also the look in his eyes. Rick looked broken and haunted. Daryl just gave Rick a small nod and Rick gave a weak smile in return.

"Shane's gone to get medical supplies." Rick muttered he looked like he was about to drop dead any second. "We can set up camp over there." Rick pointed over to a large field.

Dale placed a friendly hand on Rick's shoulder. "We'll take care of it all don't worry." Dale walked back to the RV. "Right let's set up camp." He instructed.

Daryl watched the rest of the group busy themselves with work. He didn't move from the spot he just stood staring at Rick. "Is he okay?" Daryl asked he looked up a Rick and squinted softly.

Rick rub his face and sighed. "We need that equipment." Rick's voice cracked as his body slumped down onto the porch step.

Daryl bit his nails and looked at the shell of a man. "He'll be fine Shane won't let him die." Daryl didn't care for Shane but it couldn't fault him when it came to Carl Shane would do anything.

Rick placed his face in his hands. "Then there's the operation. Not to mention if Carl gets an infection."

Daryl scowled. "Kids are tough." Daryl sat down beside Rick and smiled. "Hell I think nature's a bitch."

Rick looked over at Daryl. "What do you mean?" Rick was interested in Daryl's thoughts. Daryl didn't talk much but when he did it was a good idea to listen because Daryl's mind was a minefield of knowledge and wisdom.

Daryl bit his nails and smiled again. "Well nature throws a kid at ya and you do all you can to protect it but what nature fails to tell ya is that your kid is made too adapt and survive." Daryl placed his hand on his pocked feeling the outline of the charm bracelet. "You could place a kid with anyone and the kid would adapt. It's the adults that get screwed seven ways to Sunday." Daryl looked at Rick. "Men more than women. The women have the basics built in but us men we over think every situation and panic at the slightest bump." Daryl smiled as he thought about his attempt at baby proofing his house. "Yep we screw the women get them knocked up and nature screws us right back."

Rick's mouth twitched into a small smile. Daryl's speech sounded like a man of experience and the look in Daryl's eyes were that of a father. "I used to hate changing Carl's diaper. I did it once and dear god never again." Rick was trying to prod more information from Daryl.

Daryl laughed it was the first time Rick had ever seen Daryl laugh it sounded like a dogs bark. "Well you better go check on your boy." Daryl smiled.

Rick stood up and placed his hand on Daryl's shoulder he gave it a firm squeeze. "Thank you Daryl and you know you can talk to me anytime."

Daryl waited for Rick to disappear into the house before pulling out the small bracelet from his pocket. He felt a lump in his throat start to rise and he placed it back in his pocket. Daryl stood up; he needed to find Sophia he needed to make everything okay.

* * *

The Governor opened the door of his house letting Milton in. Milton looked more twitchy and nervous than usual.

"Are you sure this is a good idea." Milton asked placing an old record player on the table.

The Governor picked Hope out of her crib and rocked her in his arms. "Yes Penny loved to play with Hope before the outbreak and you said it yourself they need things they're close to."

Milton started the old record player and the song Bye Baby Bunting started to play. Hope bounced in the Governor's arms it looked like she was trying to dance.

"Well that's only a theory that the closer the bond the more humanity the patient retains." Milton nervously pushed his glasses up his nose. "But if Merle finds out."

The Governor started to get angry. "Well he won't, will he." He spat. The Governor placed Hope on the floor and walked towards a locked door. "Keep an eye on Hope whilst I collect Penny."

Milton smiled as he watched Hope place her palms on the table and hoist herself up. Hope reached out towards the record player. "Baaaaa." She squealed at Milton. The Governor walked into the room with Penny wrapped up in a straight jacket and a bag over her head. "Baaaaa." Hope squealed louder.

Penny pulled forward at the sound of Hope's squeals. "I really don't think this is a good idea." Milton watched Penny struggle.

The Governor grunted trying to hold Penny back. "It will be fine." The Governor pulled the bag away from Penny's head. The mutated girl stopped struggling and looked at Hope. "See." The Governor smiled. "She remembers." The Governor let go of Penny and she lumbered towards Hope.

Hope tilted her head and smiled at Penny she used the table to pull her wobbly legs closer to the strange creature. Penny smelt the air and gnashed her jaws together. Hope pointed at the music player. "BAAAAA!" She screamed.

Hope's squeal made Penny snarl and jump forward. Penny's body made contact with the table sending Hope flying backwards, Hope screamed as she hit her head on the hardwood floor. The Governor grabbed Penny and struggled to put the bag over her head.

"No Penny!" He yelled dragging the girl back into the room she came from.

Milton bent down and picked up Hope the little girl screamed and cried. "Daaaaaaa. Daaaaaaa." Milton placed his hand behind her head and felt a large lump starting to form.

The Governor entered the room and took Hope from Milton's arms. "We need to get her to doctor Steven." The Governor looked at Milton. "And not a word to Merle."

* * *

The Governor and Milton stood nervously in the infirmary whilst Doctor Stevens checked the back of Hope's head. The small girl grizzled and whined.

Dr Stevens looked at the worried expression on both men. "Don't worry it's just a bump but keep an eye on her just in case."

The Governor breathed a sigh of relief and laughed. "Thank god." The Governor wouldn't be able to forgive himself if anything were too happen to Hope. He loved her; she was his blood and his only family.

There was a knock at the door and wiry man wearing sunglasses and a bandana entered the room. "Guv I found something that may interest you."

"What is it Crowley." The Governor asked curiously.

Crowley leant his back against the wall. "Merle and I took a group scavenging in a nearby town and when I was there I saw two people. A woman and a Korean man."

The Governor was becoming impatient. "So."

"The woman called the man Glenn. There was a Glenn in Merle's group." Crowley removed his sunglasses. "I remember him telling me and then I remembered you told us that if we find out anything about Merle's group we're to tell you."

The Governor smirked. "Did Merle see him?"

Crowley shook his head. "No I made excuses so we had to move on." Crowley stood up straight. "I would have brought them here for questioning but then Merle would have known about them."

The Governor raised his hand silencing Crowley. "No you did good. I'm going to send a group to the town. Try and find them." The Governor picked up Hope. "Nobody tells Merle and as soon as you find Daryl." He kissed the top of Hope's head. "Kill him."

Milton looked shocked. "I thought you told Merle you would bring Daryl here."

"I tell Merle a lot of things to keep him on side." The Governor looked at Milton. "Listen one Dixon I can control but two of them...well that's like lighting a match in a powder keg."

Another small knock came from the door and Rowan stood in the doorway. She looked pale. "Uh...I've come to collect Hope. Is she okay?" Rowan looked at Hope's grumpy face.

"She's fine. Just a bump." The Governor handed Hope to Rowan and smiled. Rowan forced a smile back and started too walk towards the door.

Milton walked towards the dark haired woman. "Wait. I'll walk with you."

"Milton." The Governor's voice made him turn. "Remember what I said he doesn't need to know anything."

Milton just nodded as he left the room with Rowan. "So how much did you hear?" Milton asked as they walked down the street together.

Rowan held Hope closer to her body. "I heard nothing." She lied. "I better get Hope back to Merle." Rowan rushed towards Merle's house. She didn't know what to do with the information she had.

Milton watched Rowan dart down the street. He started to wonder if siding with the Governor was the right thing to do but if he didn't where would he go. Milton loved Woodbury and he loved his work. He took a deep breath and walked back towards his lab.


	7. Chapter 7

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Annelisa, Emberka-2012, empath51780, rebecca taylor, Brazen Hussy, FanFicGirl10 and DeviantDames.**

**Please review.**

* * *

**Chapter 7.**

Rowan walked into Merle's house with Hope in her arms, the child was sucking her thumb and sniffling.

"Well what's up with my girl." Merle's voice was low and soft. It always shocked Rowan to hear the tank of a man speak in such a way. Rowan looked at Merle he was topless. Her eyes were drawn to the vast amount of scars that littered his chest; she couldn't take her eyes off them. "That's twice I caught you starin' honey bunch. One more time and I'm gonna have to give ya somethin' to stare at." Merle winked at the woman.

Rowan blushed again. "Um...Hope had a bump."

Rowan didn't get to finish the conversation Merle pulled Hope from her arms and started to check the small girl for any injures. "What the fuck happened?" Merle growled feeling the small bump on the back of Hope's head. "I'm gonna stab that prick right through the fuckin' eye." Merle snarled.

Rowan held her hands up trying to calm Merle down. "She just fell over. She's fine." Rowan placed her hand on the top of Merle's arm and gently rubbed it. "Children fall it's nobody's fault."

Merle clenched his jaw. He thought Hope would have been safe with the Governor. He knew the man was slightly crazy but he didn't think the man was capable of hurting a baby. "Guess so." Merle grunted.

Rowan watched Merle softly rub the back of Hope's head. She was trying to mentally weigh out the pro's and con's of telling Merle about the secret she held. The Governor had always been willing to bring in outsiders that could help Woodbury thrive and if Merle's brother was anything like him then Woodbury could only benefit from having the Dixon brothers on their side.

"Merle." Rowan hugged her arms around her body. "I need to tell you something but you need too promise you won't overreact."

Merle gave a large snort. "Ain't promisin' shit." Merle pulled his girl closer to his large chest.

"Merle please it's important but you need to stay calm...for Hope."

Merle cocked his head to the side he watched Rowan hugging her body tightly. "Kay."

Rowan sighed nervously. "I overheard Crowley talking with the Governor. He saw someone in town today and he thinks it has something too do with Daryl." Merle's eyes grew wide at the mention of his brother. "But the Governor told Crowley to find Daryl and.…" Rowan bit her lip. "Kill him."

"WHAT?!" Merle's bellowed. The outburst made Hope's tiny eyes flick open and she started too wail. "I'm gonna kill the fuck!" Merle rocked Hope close to his chest trying to calm her down.

Rowan placed her body in front of the door. "Think of Hope. At least now you can try and find Daryl and get Hope away from the Governor."

Merle stopped and glared at Rowan. "And why are you helpin' me huh? Ain't you the Governor's fuck buddy?" Merle knew he couldn't trust the Governor completely, how could he trust a man who wouldn't even tell you his first name. Merle felt like he was walking into a trap.

"Yes I've slept with the Governor on occasion but he was always so kind and charming. Please Merle listen to me I've seen you with Hope and I know deep down you're a good man." Rowan lent back on the door. "I mean really deep down buried beneath ten foot of asshole."

Merle smirked. "Well how do I know you ain't tryin' to trap me?"

"I'm not but if the Governor finds out I've told you I'm a dead woman." Rowan started to feel sick as she though back to all the people who suddenly went missing in the small town. The Governor always said they had left to find family but now Rowan wasn't so sure the man was telling the truth.

Merle stood silently jiggling Hope in his arms. People always assumed Merle wasn't smart just because of what came out of his mouth. It was the people who underestimated Merle's intelligence that came undone and the Governor had completely under estimated the older Dixon. "I'll go scavenging tomorrow. I won't go back to the town it's to obvious that I know. I'll keep to the woods, try and pick up tracks."

Rowan moved closer too Merle. "Just be careful." Rowan rubbed the top of Hope's head.

Merle gave Rowan a charming flirty grin. "What's wrong sweetheart you gettin' some tingly feelins for ol' Merle."

Rowan swiped Merle's arm. "You're a pig." Rowan turned around and opened the door. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Well darlin' you can see more of me tonight." Merle raised his eyebrows and winked. Rowan scowled and flipped Merle off before disappearing from the house.

* * *

The streets of Woodbury were buzzing with life when Rowan made the trip to Merle's the next morning. She hadn't slept well that night. Rowan had a nightmare about the Governor finding out that she had leaked information and it was Merle who'd told him. It was then Rowan realised there was nothing stopping Merle from telling the Governor that Rowan was a traitor.

Rowan made it too Merle's house and walked into the messy living room. Merle was lying on the flood doing sit ups, every time he laid down flat on the floor Hope would bop him on the head with a small plastic hammer and squeal.

"Well lookie Hope Nanny 911 is late today." Merle placed his body flat on the floor and Hope bopped his head. "Hey Ro." Rowan jumped a little it was the first time Merle had ever used anything close to her name. "Pick up squirt a minute."

Rowan did as she was told much to Hope's annoyance. Merle rolled over on his stomach. He raised himself up on his stump and hand.

"Daaaaaa." Hope yelled grabbing for Merle.

"Kay now put squirt on my back." Merle smiled.

"No. That is so dangerous...are you thick?" Rowan sounded rather annoyed by the unsafe idea.

Merle tilted his head up slightly his large arms stood firmly on place. "You betta watch your mouth woman I ain't thick and I ain't about to put my daughter in danger now put her on my back."

Rowan apprehensively placed Hope on Merle's back the small girl laid on her stomach her tiny hands grabbed fistfuls of Merle's wifebeater. Merle slowly and steadily started to preform push ups making Hope giggle and kick her legs. As soon as Merle felt Hope's grip loosen he slowly lowered his body to the floor letting Hope roll off his back and on to the rug.

Merle pulled himself to his knees and stood up. He then bent down and grabbed the back of Hope's little white jumper and pulled her up. Hope squealed in delight as her body rocked back and forth in mid-air, she was like a baby aeroplane.

Rowan rushed forward she took the swinging baby off Merle. Hope started to whine, she kicked her legs against Rowan's body. "You need to be more carful with her."

Merle scowled. "Hey don't you tell me how to be a dad. It ain't like I'm lettin' her play with biters." Merle placed his knife on his wrist guard. "Kids need to be played with not mollycoddled, it makes em tough." He placed his gun in his waistband. "When Daryl was a baby I used to get my ol' man's suitcase and stick me and him in it and toboggan down our stairs. Daryl must have been three no older and he turned out fine." Merle strode over to Rowan and placed his large hand under Hope's tiny chin he gently pulled her face up and placed a tender kiss on her soft cheek. "Daddy loves ya squirt but I gotta find Uncle Daryl now do you be good for Rowan okay."

Rowan's ears pricked up as Merle used her name again. It seemed in the space of a night Rowan had won Merle's respect and trust. "Be safe." Rowan whispered softly.

Merle walked to the door he looked over his shoulder to take a final look at Hope in Rowan's arm. The small girl whined and screeched for Merle, her little arms were stretched out towards him.

* * *

Merle walked cautiously through the woods Crowley was out in front of him. Merle had decided on the journey from Woodbury that he was going to dispose of Crowley and tell the Governor biters got him.

"Sure is getting colder." Crowley didn't turn when he spoke to Merle. It seemed to be his attempt at polite chit-chat. "The cold weather seems to make the biters move around more."

Merle just grunted as he pulled his gun from his waistband. Crowley carried on his idle small talk completely unaware that he was about to receive a bullet to the back of the head. Merle raised the gun. At least he could thank the Governor for one thing; Merle had no problem in killing in cold blood. Merle was about to pull the trigger as a scream ripped through the woods.

Merle shot forward like a bullet from a gun. A walker shuffled forward Merle rammed his knife through its eye and kicked it too the floor. He jumped over a large fallen tree as another scream rang out. As he made his way through the trees Merle could see a small girl hanging on to a low hanging branch a biter stood below her snapping and grabbing for her. Merle tackled the biter to the floor and rammed his knife deep into the grotesque beast's brain. He stood up wiping the blood and brain matter on his shirt.

Merle looked up to see a small blonde girl clinging desperately to the branch she looked like a cat stuck in a tree. "Jump down girl." Merle called. The girl shook her head Merle grunted from annoyance, he placed his knife deep into the tree trunk and hoisted his body up towards the girl. Merle nearly fell back down the tree when he saw the girls face. It was the blonde girl from camp Merle tried to remember her name but he couldn't Daryl had been the good one with names.

The girl looked petrified as she watched Merle move towards her. "Merle." She squeaked.

Merle knew that if Crowley found out the girl was with Daryl's group then he'd take the news right back to the Governor and that would be the end of his baby brother. "Shhh girl, I ain't gonna hurt ya but you gotta keep ya trap shut, okay?" The small blonde nodded. Merle could see Crowley approaching them. "If anyone asks you don't know me and your family are dead okay." The small girl just nodded she gave a small sob as she reached out for Merle. She climbed onto Merle's broad back.

Merle shimmed down the trunk with the girl attached to his back, her arms were clamped firmly around Merle's wide neck. As Merle's feet touched the ground he bent down allowing the small girl to slide off, her legs buckled from fear and exhaustion. Merle scoped her up in his arms and held her close to him. He found himself thinking about Hope as a teenager and he smiled.

Crowley removed his sunglasses and looked at the girl in Merle's arms. "What we going to do with her."

Merle pushed past Crowley. "We take her too Woodbury."

Crowley ran forward and tried to stop Merle from walking any further. "Whoa, no we don't know anything about her and the Governor..."

Merle looked down at the exhausted child. "What's ya name girl."

"Sophia." She whispered. Sophia found it hard to speak her throat was raw from screaming.

"Sophia huh?" Merle smiled he remembered now she belonged to that sick bastard who liked to take his anger out on his wife and daughter. "And where's ya family sweetheart." Merle held his breath everything relied on what Sophia was about to say.

"Dead." Sophia managed to croak.

Merle looked up at Crowley. "See she ain't no threat." Merle started to walk off.

"You know Merle I never knew you were so soft. The Governor calls you his enforcer says your the toughest man out there but I think you're about as tough as butter in the sun." Crowley laughed. "You may as well start wearing a dress and we'll call you the den mother of Woodbury."

Crowley's joke was the last prod Merle needed he placed Sophia on the ground. "Stay there darlin'" He said softly.

Merle span around swinging his fist, his giant knuckles came into contact with Crowley's nose the sound of splitting bone could be heard over Crowley's cries of pain. Merle span again landing a large roundhouse kick to the side of the man's face. More bones could be heard cracking as Crowley fell to the floor screaming in agony. Merle had broken the man's nose and eye socket in two strikes. Merle sat on Crowley's chest and placed his blade tight to Crowley's throat. "Please no I'm sorry." Crowley cried.

Merle gave a large husky laugh and spat square in the man's face. He stood up. "Next time I ain't stoppin'." Merle promised.

Merle snarled. "Now I'm takin' the girl back to Woodbury you may wanna pull ya ass out of the dirt 'cause I won't wait for ya."

Merle noticed a small rag doll lying in the dirt. He picked it up and thrust it at Sophia and scooped her up in his arms. "Thank you." Sophia whispered hoarsely.

Sophia snuggled her body tighter to Merle's. She'd never really know much about the Dixon's both her and Carl had been told not to go near the volatile brothers. The only memory Sophia had of Merle was him and her daddy fighting over something, she didn't know what. Shane had come along and broken up the argument before blows were exchanged but Merle had told both Shane and her dad that he'd get them in the end.

Sophia could hear Merle's steady heartbeat through his broad chest. She noticed how he smelt musky and wood like, the smell comforted Sophia. She gave a large yawn as Merle's movements started to rock her to sleep. The last thing Sophia heard before drifting off was Merle's footsteps splashing through shallow waters. Sophia's body became loose and limp; the rag doll fell in to the water unnoticed by Merle as he started to walk towards an old dirt track. Sophia's rag doll lay in the slow running stream waiting for someone to stumble upon it.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing.**

**Thank you to Emberka-2012, Annelisa, hikachan3, FanFicGirl10, rebecca taylor, Brazen Hussy.**

**Please review.**

* * *

**Chapter 8.**

When Sophia woke she was in a small busy town. Merle had pulled her from the Jeep and dragged her by the arm. Sophia followed she was still half asleep she didn't know where she was or even if she was safe. She wanted her mom.

Merle stopped in front of a door and gave a loud knock before he entered the room.

"Merle, Crowley. What happened here?" The Governor asked.

Merle let go of Sophia's arm. "We found this kid in the woods." Merle answered bluntly.

The Governor smiled sweetly at Sophia. "I meant Crowley's face."

Merle looked over at Crowley, his eye was severely swollen, his nose was bent and dried blood was smeared across his face. "Oh he fell and his face hit a rock...twice." Merle patted Crowley on the back. "Ain't that right buddy?"

Crowley just nodded. "Well you should go and see doctor Stevens." The Governor nodded towards the door. He then turned his attention to Sophia. "So little girl where's your group."

There was something about the man Sophia didn't like. She grabbed Merle's hand and squeezed it tightly.

"Answer the man." Merle barked making Sophia jump.

"Dead sir." Sophia whispered.

The Governor gave Sophia a sympathetic look. "Well we'll find you somewhere to stay."

"She can stay with me." Merle interrupted. "I got Hope already so one more ain't a problem."

The Governor nodded. "Very well, Oh Merle let's try and keep people falling onto rocks face first to a minimum, okay." Merle smirked and pulled Sophia from the room.

Sophia didn't say anything as she was pulled through the crowds, she was scared and nothing made sense to her people looked happy and children played out in the streets. She wanted to ask Merle about the strange new place but she was frightened of the older Dixon.

"You okay kid?" Merle looked down at Sophia she looked like a rabbit stuck in headlights. Sophia just nodded as she was pulled into another house.

Rowan sat on the floor with Hope she had been reading a book to the little girl. "Look who's come home Hope its daddy." Rowan stood up and looked at Sophia. "And he's stolen a little girl." Rowan raised an eyebrow and smiled playfully at Merle. "You could start a Dixon Day-care if you have anymore children."

Hope started to crawl at high speed towards Merle. "Daaaaaaaa."

Merle pushed Sophia forward. "She's from my group she got herself lost." Hope sat in front of Merle she raised her arms up to him a squealed.

"Does the Governor know?" Rowan asked nervously.

Sophia smiled at Hope who was now grabbing at Merle's pant leg. The small girl was annoyed at the lack of attention she was receiving from Merle.

"Yes I told him everything." Merle replied sarcastically. "Do I look dumb to you?"

Rowan placed her hands on her hips. "No you just look like a major asshole."

Merle was about to respond when Hope threw her head back and yelled. "Dada."

And there it was Hope's first word. It wasn't a big word; it wasn't even a word Merle liked very much but that small word made the whole world stand still for that moment in time. Merle couldn't believe that Hope's first words were dada and that she'd yelled them at him. The man had just been sent to cloud nine and every struggle he'd ever faced in his hard life melted away in that second.

"Well squirt you got daddy's attention what is it." Merle picked up Hope. The argument with Rowan had completely been forgotten, he was now covering Hope's face with kisses.

"Dada." Hope played with Merle's stubble. "DADA." Hope liked the attention and affection the newfound word got her.

Merle looked down at Sophia. "You hungry kid." Sophia nodded. "Use your words or you ain't eatin'."

"Yes sir." Sophia muttered.

Sophia was still trying to come to terms with the fact that Merle Dixon was a dad. There had been no mention of children back in Atlanta. Sophia's mind started putting things together. Merle and Daryl had arrived with a baby seat in Daryl's truck, Shane assumed it was stolen. Once when Sophia was playing with Carl they heard the men talking about finding Hope, Sophia thought it was more like finding hope and peace not a person and the men were always staring at her. It wasn't the sinful way her father used to stare at her it was more a look of sadness.

"Stayin' for dinner Ro." Merle wiggled his eyebrows. "Maybe you can give me some dessert when the kids go to bed."

Rowan sighed Merle was nothing if not persistent. "I can't the Governor has paperwork for me but I'll see you all in the morning." Rowan squatted down to Sophia's level. "He's a teddy bear really." Rowan said nodding towards Merle. Sophia swallowed hard she doubted Merle was a teddy but she sincerely hoped he was.

* * *

Daryl had been up early, he figured the early he started the search for Sophia the more chances he had of finding her.

Daryl had borrowed a horse from Hershel and it was indeed borrowing because he had every intention on bringing it back. The old man didn't seem to like the group much and if Daryl had asked him he would have said no. It was at that time Daryl remembered the saying, _"It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission."_

Daryl rode through the woods killing any squirrels that caught his eye. The horse made its way up a slight hill. It was then something caught Daryl's eye in the shallow end of the river.

"Whoa." Daryl pulled gently on the reins and dismounted the horse.

Daryl walked over the rocks in the lazy steam and picked up a small doll. He noticed it instantly, it was Sophia's.

"SOPHIA!" Daryl yelled.

Daryl felt hopeful as he looped the doll through his belt and climbed back on the horse. He gave the horse a gentle kick and the horse moved on. If Daryl had kept his eyes on the trail he would have seen the snake slithering towards the horse. The horse panicked at the sight of the snake and reared up. "Whoa." Daryl yelled trying to calm the startled horse down but it didn't work, the horse threw Daryl off its back and he tumbled down some rocks and into the river.

Daryl felt a sharp blinding pain in his side and before he even stood up he knew he'd managed to impale himself on one of his arrows. Daryl slowly stood up he didn't panic he just made a mental check list of what he needed to do. Number one bind his wound, number two find his crossbow and number three climb up the cliff and get back to the farm.

Daryl started number one. He started to wade out of the water. Even the smallest of movements sent a shot of poker hot pain through the whole of his body. Daryl grunted with effort and pain as he crawled out of the river. He then pulled his knife out and cut his sleeves from his shirt and tied them just above the arrow.

"Crossbow." Daryl grunted in pain, he looked around and picked up a large stick. Daryl limped back into the river and started prodding the stick into the river bed until the large stick hit the crossbow, he used the stick the raise the crossbow off the riverbed and he reclaimed his weapon. Now all that was left was the climbing the cliff.

Daryl moved to the cliff edge and started the climb. Every muscle in his body felt like it was on fire and his body felt like a lead balloon. Daryl stopped and took two deep sharp breaths trying to ignore the pain.

"C'mon you're half way there don't be a pussy." Daryl tried to motivate himself. Merle would always throw names like pussy, baby or girl at him to make him push harder but the words didn't seem to have the same affect with out Merle barking them at him.

Daryl stumbled and rolled down the step cliff his body hit the rocky floor, he hit his head hard. Daryl's crossbow landed heavily by his side. "Stay awake." Daryl begged himself but the begging didn't help. Daryl's world went black.

The next thing Daryl was aware of was the sound of footsteps coming towards him. Daryl opened his eyes trying to get them to focus on the person standing over him.

"Why don't ya pull that arrow out dummy, you can bind the wound better." Daryl smiled at the sight and sound of Merle.

"Merle."

Merle gave a slight laugh. "What's goin' on here takin' a siesta?"

Daryl swallowed his mouth was dry and dust had collected in the back of his throat. "Shitty day bro." Daryl coughed.

Merle gave look of mock concern. "Want me to get you a pillow, rub ya feet?"

"Screw you." Daryl shot back.

"Nah you're the one screwed by the look of ya. All them years I spent tryin' to make a man of you and this is what I get. Look at ya lying in the dirt like a used rubber." Merle looked down at Daryl in disgust and Daryl felt the anger starting to rise in his body. "You're gonna die out here little brother and for what?"

Daryl coughed. "A girl."

"A girl?" Merle growled. "What about our girl brother."

"I tried to look for you both." Daryl argued. "Rick and I went back for you."

Merle grabbed Daryl's face. "Rick that prick who cuffed me to the roof. Stopped me findin' my baby."

Daryl felt his blood boil. When Hope first arrived Merle didn't even want her, he had no right to claim her as his. "She ain't yours, she's mine." Daryl snarled.

"Hell she is." Merle laughed. "You ain't got enough seed in that nutsack of yours to even make somethin' as precious as her." Merle mocked his brother.

"She's mine. I tried to find her." Daryl's words started to slur slightly.

"No you didn't you chose to play errand boy and find kids that ain't yours." Daryl felt his eyes close and Merle hit him in the chest making Daryl's eyes flick open. "They ain't your blood, your kin. No ones gonna care about you like I do." Merle stood up. "Well get up and claim her boy 'cause she's gonna call another man daddy. Is that what you want huh?" Merle kicked Daryl's boot. "Get up now before I kick ya teeth in."

Daryl felt a heavy tugging on his boots he looked up expecting to see Merle but instead was faced with a walker trying to eat his boot. Daryl kept his cool. It wasn't the worst thing in the world he'd woken up to, he kicked his other leg up and caught the walker straight in the head. Daryl tried to grab his crossbow but the walker pounced back on Daryl and he started wrestling with the stinking creature. Daryl was always surprised by how strong they were.

The noise of the struggle had brought another walker from the woods and Daryl knew he had to work fast. He grabbed the large stick he'd been using to climb up the cliff and hit the walker on top of him sending it flying. The walker lay on its back like a turtle. Daryl took the stick and slammed it in the walkers head until the head was nothing more than a mushy mess on the floor. Daryl rolled off and started to slowly pull the arrow from his side, the pain was immense. He whimpered as he feverishly loaded his crossbow with the same arrow, the walker stumbled closer and closer. Daryl took aim and shot the arrow through the walker's brain. Relief swept over Daryl but he knew his journey was far from over he still had the cliff.

Daryl ripped off the rest of his shirt and used it to pad his wound. Years of Merle's extreme survival training were paying off, he started to bind his wound again this time Daryl found it a lot easier.

"What do you know. The son of a bitch was right." Daryl chuckled.

The climb was going to be a hard one and Daryl felt weak. "Dinner." Daryl grabbed a dead squirrel and sliced it open eating the meat inside. Whilst eating the dead walkers caught his eye and Daryl decided he'd take a little trophy back to camp. That way when he found Hope he could tell her the story and give her the trinket. _"A necklace."_ Daryl thought girls love jewellery.

Daryl started the climb this time he had the push he needed, there was no way in hell he'd let his Hope call another man daddy. Daryl pulled himself up the cliff face; every step pulled his aching muscles tighter. Loose rocks crumbled beneath his feet and Daryl slid, he looked up to see birds cawing above him. Daryl felt his body start to give up on him again.

Daryl heard laughter above him. He looked up to see Merle standing on top of the cliff. "Please don't feed the birds." Merle mocked. "What's the matter Darlena is that all you got in ya? Why don't you throw me that purse and climb."

Daryl took a few deep breaths trying to breathe through the pain. "Hell I liked it better when you were missin'."

Merle laughed. "C'mon don't be like that I'm on your side."

"Yeah, since when?" Daryl grunted as he tried to reach for a low hanging vine.

"Always brother. You think that group care that you're missin'? Damn brother I think you might as well just give up. You weren't man enough to get Hope back you ain't makin' this."

Daryl pulled himself up he was now only inches from the top. "Screw you. You messed up findin' MY daughter." Daryl spat he emphasised the word my.

Merle laughed again. "Your daughter? Well if you're so proud why don't ya tell your old friend Rick how the police took YOUR daughter away." Merle gave a mocking laugh at his brothers struggle.

Daryl grabbed the top of the cliff and dragged himself up. He staggered to his feet and started to sway. "You betta run!" Daryl yelled out.

Daryl stumbled forward dragging his crossbow behind him. A baby's cry caught his attention and Merle once again stood in front of him. This time he held Hope in his hands the little girl melted Daryl's heart with her light brown curls and dazzling blue eyes.

"Look who I found." Merle crowed. "You want her? Come get her."

"Hope." Daryl grunted as he swayed towards the mirage.

Daryl spent what felt like hours chasing ghosts in the woods before the farmhouse came into view. Daryl gave an exhausted sigh of relief as Rick, Shane, Glenn and T-Dogg ran towards him. Rick raised his gun and all the men looked at Daryl in shock and confusion.

"Is that Daryl." Glenn sounded unsure.

Daryl took a couple of deep uneven breaths. "Third time you pointed that thing at my head. You gonna pull the trigger or what?"

The group of men gave small laughs of relief when the sound of a bullet rang out and Daryl felt a burning pain run across the side of his head.

"I was kiddin'." Daryl whimpered as he hit the floor.

Shane and Rick pulled Daryl up. "Is he dead?" Glenn asked.

Daryl lifted his head slightly. "Hope." He muttered before passing out.

"No." Rick replied. "Just unconscious." Rick found himself wondering why Daryl had said hope as his last word.

* * *

Daryl lay on a bed in the farmhouse Hershel had just finished tending his wounds and now he was alone with Rick.

Rick played with Sophia's doll. "Thank you Daryl." Rick said softly.

"Ain't nothin'." Daryl grunted.

Rick sat on the chair next to Daryl's bed. "It is something." Rick replied. "It's hope for Carol. Why do all this?"

Daryl shrugged. "What else I gotta do?" Daryl muttered. He was starting to get uncomfortable with all the attention.

Rick bit his lip he wanted to find out more about Daryl but he didn't want Daryl to clam up again. "You said Hope as you passed out."

Daryl shifted uncomfortably on the bed. Daryl knew he did all he could for his girl, he wasn't a bad man. He needed to get rid of the pain and anger. "She's my daughter." Daryl said quickly. Rick's face didn't look disgusted or upset, he looked sad for Daryl as if he somehow understood the pain he was carrying. "Well she may be my daughter."

Daryl started telling Rick the story of Hope. All the way from her arrival right up until the police calling and taking her. Rick sat listening intently he could hear the pain in Daryl's voice and the love radiate from him every time he uttered Hope's name.

"We'll find her." Rick placed his hand on Daryl's shoulder and to Rick's surprise Daryl didn't shrink away from his touch.

"What? How?" Daryl couldn't believe Rick wanted to help him.

"Once we've found Sophia you, me and Glenn will go back to Atlanta and find out all we can." Rick gently squeezed Daryl's shoulder. "I promise we'll find her."

Daryl smiled it was the first smile Rick had ever seen on the rednecks face. Everything made sense now, why Daryl was always so angry and volatile, why he kept starting at Sophia and Carl in such a protective manner and why Daryl was risking his life for a child that wasn't his.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Emberka-2012, Annelisa, Brazen Hussy, rebecca taylor and FanFicGirl10.**

**FanFicGirl10 I don't know yet if I'm going to put Daryl and Carol together, they do seem to have a great bond and if I do it will be awkward and slow, I like that about Daryl's character. I also like Merle and Andrea together. Am I the only one? I don't think Andrea is stupid or a slut (I don't think Lori was a slut either, she thought her husband was dead but that's just my opinion) Andrea's just been duped by a charmer and at one time or another all women/men have been. The only mistake she's made is not taking Merle up on his offer to hook up. I don't want to say much more because I have a few things that are going to happen in the story soon and I'd hate to spoil anything.**

* * *

**Chapter 9.**

Merle was surprised when he woke the next morning and there wasn't a peep from Hope. He decided that this was what he'd read about in all the parenting magazines about babies sleeping through the whole night. Merle smiled, he liked this part of parenthood a lot first Hope called him dada and then she let's him sleep. It was pretty much perfect. Merle stretched and got out of bed deciding that for once he'd have a peaceful breakfast.

"Morning." Sophia squeaked as Merle entered the kitchen.

Merle rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Sophia had fed herself and Hope. The teenager had also managed to get Hope dressed and placed the infants hair in two little bunches, she looked adorable.

"Dada." Hope squealed as she grabbed a fistful of oatmeal and launched it at Merle.

Merle smoothly sidestepped the food grenade and looked around at the clean and tidy kitchen. "What the hell's all this?" Sophia looked up a Merle nervously. The large redneck made her nervous he always looked angry and annoyed.

Sophia quickly got up from her seat and started walking quickly towards the kitchen sink. "I'm sorry it's just Hope woke up and she was fussing so I thought..." The nervous girl became entangled in her own feet, her body hit the floor and the small bowl smashed around her. _"This is it."_ Sophia thought as she curled her body up as tight as she could just waiting for Merle to hit her.

Merle's heart jumped up to his throat as Sophia lay cold stone still on the floor; the broken bowl lay scattered around her body. Merle rushed forward and hauled Sophia to her feet checking that the girl wasn't hurt.

"You okay girl." Merle asked. Sophia flinched at Merle's touch; she scrunched her eyes closed tightly. "What's wrong?" Merle knew the question was a stupid one. Sophia was waiting for a beating. "I ain't gonna hit ya."

Sophia opened her eyes and looked at Merle. His face was full of concern rather than anger. "I'm sorry." She whispered meekly.

Merle shrugged. "They're ugly bowls any how." Merle knelt to the floor and started picking up the shards of crockery. "Besides Hope's broken two already."

"Don't tell lies Merle." Rowan's voice rang out. "You broke both of them when you were showing Hope how to juggle."

Merle placed the broken bowl on the kitchen counter and laughed. "Mornin' Ro." Merle pulled Hope out of her high chair and handed the baby to Sophia. "Phia why don't you go play with squirt I need to talk with Ro."

Sophia carefully carried Hope towards her overstuffed toy chest in the living room and started to hand pick a selection of toys for them to play with.

Rowan took a quick glance to make sure Sophia and Hope were both busy before turning her attention back too Merle. "What's wrong?" She asked in a hushed tone.

"Sophia says the group were at the highway last so I gotta go there." Merle watched Rowan's eyes fill with fear.

"No Merle that's a red zone if you go there you're as good as dead." Rowan looked back over at Hope who was happily playing with Sophia. "Think of Hope."

"What the hell do you think I'm doing?" Merle snapped. "Hope needs her family and I'm gonna find my baby brother for her."

Rowan bit her lip. "The Governor won't let you go alone." She was trying to sway Merle away from his crazy plan.

Merle gave a small grunt. "Already got that covered i'm gonna take someone with me just tell him biters got them."

Rowan shook her head. "This is madness. What if you get caught? What if the Governor finds out?" Rowan felt like crying. She'd grown accustom to Merle, she didn't want to lose him.

"I'll be fine woman. Hell anyone would think you care 'bout me." Merle gave a smirk but the playfulness soon vanished from his face. "You listen to me, anything happens to me you look after Hope and Sophia you got it."

Rowan didn't speak she just nodded silently. When Merle first arrived she's thought Merle was nothing more than redneck trash but behind all the bravado Merle was a good man who loved his family.

Merle picked up Hope and held her close to him. He closed his eyes soaking up everything about his little girl from the sweet small she held to the softness of her skin. He wanted to have a firm memory of his girl before he set out on his travels. Merle placed Hope on the floor. Sophia gave Merle a small nervous smile as he watched her holding a star shaped block from Hope's shape sorter.

"Where's that damn ugly doll of yours kid?" Merle scowled noticing he hadn't seen it since they returned to Woodbury.

"I lost it sir." Sophia said softly, once again she looked liked she may cry. Merle grunted and walked back towards the bedrooms.

Sophia carried on playing with Hope handing the child the small blue star. Hope just banged the shape roughly on the ground. Sophia jumped when Merle returned and dangled an object in front of her.

"Well take it." Merle instructed gruffly.

Sophia took the object in her hand and smiled. It was a porcelain doll with long corkscrew black hair and perfect milky skin. When Sophia tipped the doll back her crystal blue eyes closed. The beautiful doll was even dressed in a darling navy blue silk pinafore. Sophia had never been given something so fine before.

"For me, really?" Sophia smiled broadly.

The smiled made Merle's face light up. "Yeah well I was gonna wait till Hope got bigger, she only likes things she can hit me with or drool on at the moment." On cue Hope placed the star shape in her mouth and started to chew and dribble all over it. "I think you'll look after it."

Sophia leapt up off the floor and threw her arms around Merle's waist. Merle was taken back by the display of emotion. He just softly stroked the top of Sophia's head and when he felt the hug was lasting longer than it should he gently pushed her away. Merle gave Sophia a small nod and left the three girls to their day.

* * *

It had taken some persuading on Merle's behalf but the Governor finally caved in and let Merle go out with Tim. The Governor had given into Merle's request on the understanding that the men would return before nightfall and that they would return with something to show for their days work.

Merle had already formulated a plan he'd dispose of Tim as soon as he could and then once he reached the highway he'd scavenge from a few cars before he started trying to track Daryl's group.

The men walked through the woods to the place where Merle had found Sophia. Tim was blissful unaware of his fate the Asian man started to hum to himself.

"Hey Tim you got family?" Merle asked he was suddenly aware of how little he knew about the man.

Tim shook his head. "All dead why?" He turned to face Merle who now had his gun raised at him.

"Cause it means there ain't no one to miss ya." Merle responded coldly as he pulled the trigger. Tim's body crumpled to the ground.

The next thing Merle knew a horse was racing towards him. Merle managed to grab the horse's reins as it passed. Merle pulled heavily on the reins bringing the creature to a halt.

"Whoa." Merle soothed the flighty beast. "C'mon now ol' Merle didn't mean to scare you none." Merle gently stoked the horse and whispered gently. "That's it I ain't gonna shoot ya."

Once the horse had calmed down Merle climbed on its back. It was hard too do with one hand and such an erratic horse but after a few attempts Merle had managed the task at hand. "Let's see if you can't take me somewhere."

Merle gave a swift kick and the horse started moving. He let the horse roam where it wanted, he knew the horse would eventually stray back to its home and the worst case scenario Merle would take the horse back to Woodbury for Hope. The Governor wouldn't be pleased but Merle would find a way to squirm back into his good books.

"C'mon girl." Merle whispered softly. "Take ol' Merle somewhere good."

* * *

Daryl lay in his tent he hated the fact that he couldn't contribute in anyway to the group and not being able to look for Sophia was cutting him up inside.

"Hey." Andrea popped her head in the tent. She looked at Daryl sheepishly. "I brought you a book." She handed Daryl the old battered book.

Daryl flicked through the pages and smiled, at least he could have a bit of fun with the blonde. "What no pictures?" Daryl smirked.

Andrea felt her cheeks starting to burn. "I'm sorry." She blurted out quickly.

Daryl smiled as Andrea turned fifty different shades of red. "It's okay you were protectin' the group." Andrea nodded. "But you shoot me again you best pray I'm dead."

Shouting and scuffling came from outside the tent, Andrea turned to see what all commotion was about and her jaw dropped open. Daryl pulled himself up until he felt his stitches pull.

"So where the fuck is my baby brother." Daryl knew the low husky voice instantly. He pulled himself too his feet even when his stitches pulled and ached in protest.

Daryl pushed passed Andrea to see T-Dogg lying on the floor with Merle's giant boot on his chest. Merle held a gun in one hand, he had it pointed at Rick and his knife on his wrist guard was pointed at Shane. Everyone stood looking nervously at both Dixon brothers.

"Merle?" Daryl held his side. He could feel blood starting to seep from beneath his shirt. He'd ripped open his stitches.

Merle smiled. "Ain't ya got a hug for your big brother?" Merle waited for a few seconds as Daryl looked at Merle with shock and confusion. Then Merle dropped the bombshell. "I got Hope." Merle's smile grew broader as he watched Daryl smile and give a small chuckle.

"Hope." Daryl croaked. The entire group just stood staring at the men not knowing what to say or do.


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Annelisa, Dino-SOAR, DeviantDames, Emberka-2012, FanFicGirl10, Zeyden, rebecca taylor and Brazen Hussy.**

**Please review.**

* * *

**Chapter 10.**

It seemed liked time had slowed down for Daryl. Merle stood in front of him holding his friends at gun and knife point, Merle's large boot was still firmly placed on T-Dogg's chest. Daryl was steadily losing blood from the freshly opened wound on his side but his little girl was alive. Daryl didn't know what to do. T-Dogg tried to move from beneath Merle making the redneck apply more pressure to the man's chest.

"Merle." Daryl limped forward he winced in pain. Daryl knew he had to get Merle away from the group before he caused any more damage. "Why don't ya come inside the house and we can chat." Daryl gave a small grunt of pain.

Merle's eyes dropped to Daryl's side he saw his brother's blood seeping into the material of his dirty shirt. "You hurt or somethin'?" Merle's anger and rage had been overridden with an overpowering need to protect his baby brother.

Daryl looked down he didn't want to show any weakness. "Just tore my stitches, like I said come inside and we can talk."

Merle removed his boot from T-Dogg's chest and walked towards Daryl. Merle looked over his shoulder at Rick. "This can wait till later." Merle snarled dangerously.

Shane went to tackle Merle. Rick grabbed Shane's arm before he could reach Merle. "Let them go." Rick met Shane's eye trying to calm his friend.

Shane couldn't believe his ears. "What the hell? He comes in here and attacks us and we let him go." Shane pulled his arm away from Rick. "No, no way it ain't right Rick."

Rick knew Daryl needed time with his brother, he knew how much Daryl needed Hope back. "Just give Daryl time." Rick gave Shane a stern look and pushed his body forward trying to block Shane from moving towards the farmhouse after Merle.

Shane snorted. "You wanna put us in danger that's fine but don't expect me to help you when those rednecks start tearing up this camp." Shane pushed his way through the rest of the group. Rick could feel everyone staring at him looking for answers.

* * *

Hershel had quickly stitched Daryl's side the old man had been annoyed; he saw it as a waste of supplies and a waste of his time.

Hershel packed up his equipment and gave Daryl a stern look. "Next time when I tell you to rest do it." The old man left Merle and Daryl alone in the bedroom.

Daryl lay on the bed he was aware of Merle looking at every scar on his body. It wasn't the look of pity that other people used it was more of an ashamed looked. Merle had always tried to protect Daryl but there had been times he wasn't able to and of course Merle had added a few of the scars to Daryl's body when he came home drunk or high.

"Where's Hope?" Daryl asked.

Merle's eyes snapped back up to Daryl's face. "She's safe in a place called Woodbury." Merle pointed to Daryl's side. "How do you do that?" It was as if the brothers were exchanging an answer for an answer.

"Lost a girl." Daryl replied.

"Sophia?" Merle had completely forgotten about the blonde girl. "I got her at Woodbury found her hangin' from a tree." Merle looked out of the window the light was starting to fade already and he knew he needed to return home soon. "Listen I ain't got much time. We need to get Hope and Sophia out of there. You got a map?"

Daryl slowly pulled himself off the bed his legs nearly gave way. Merle moved forward and took his brothers weight.

"Rick's got one." Daryl replied.

Merle gave a snort. "I don't want anythin' from that prick." Merle spat.

Daryl grunted in effort, with Merle's help he took another step. "They're good folk." Daryl snapped at his brother through a mixture of pain and annoyance.

The farm was safe for Hope but if Merle couldn't live peacefully with the group then the brothers would have to leave and that would put Hope in danger.

Merle felt his rage build he let go of Daryl causing his brothers body to crumple to the floor. "That group ain't nothin but an anchor round our necks!" Merle barked. "You forgotten who cuffed me too that roof and who dropped the fuckin key!"

Daryl lay on the floor holding his side Merle towered over him in an intimidating manner. "Merle we're gonna need help it ain't safe any more the plan we made it won't..." Daryl yelled in pain as Merle grabbed a fistful of Daryl's shirt and pulled him off the floor.

"You listen here boy we're all Hope needs. Now I've been raisin' her and doin' what I need to keep her safe." Merle pulled Daryl's face close to his a menacing sneer spread across Merle's face. "Now you need to choose, me and Hope or this group, 'cause I'll stay in Woodbury and keep her." Merle threw Daryl back down on the floor.

A jolt of pain ran through Daryl's body. He wasn't losing Hope not again he'd find away to keep them with the group later but right now he needed Merle.

"Fine." Daryl whimpered. "But I'll have to bring Rick and Glenn. We need more than me and you especially since we're bringin' back Sophia."

Merle pulled Daryl roughly to his feet. "Fine but then we split." Merle pushed Daryl towards the door. "We need a map."

* * *

Rick watched Daryl limp slowly towards them Merle kept giving his brother impatient small shoves.

Daryl stopped by Carol. "Merle's got Sophia." Daryl whispered softly. Carol threw her hand over her mouth in disbelief and looked at Merle.

"She fine just a little shook up is all." Carol embraced Merle and gave a small sob.

"Thank you so much." Carol whimpered.

Merle watched Daryl limp towards Rick and whisper something. Rick just nodded and handed Daryl the folded map. Merle pushed Carol away from him and stomped towards his brother. He couldn't miss the look of respect and kindness that Daryl and Rick had exchanged; it was almost as if Daryl had replaced him with Rick.

Daryl laid the map across the hood of Rick's car. Merle placed his fingers on the map. "Woodbury is here. It's completely blocked off by walls from here to here." Merle moved his large finger around the map drawing an invisible wall.

Rick had joined the brothers he stood close to Daryl's side. "So how do we get in?" Rick placed his hands on his hips and squinted at Merle.

Merle pointed his blade at Rick. "You don't get in and let's get this clear as soon as you get that girl back to her mom Daryl and I are leavin'"

Rick clenched his jaw he didn't say anything. Rick knew that the situation was hard enough on Daryl without fighting with Merle. He just nodded.

Merle moved his finger tracing a path on the map. "You come in this way in three days time. I'm on guard duty on this wall. I'm doing the nightshift. We can sneak the kids over the wall." Merle knew the task wasn't going to be as simple as he was making out but he could sort out the fine details later.

Daryl made a mental note of everything Merle told him there was no room for mistakes to be made on this mission. Once Merle had finished Daryl looked up at his big brother.

"So, how's bug?" Daryl had waited to long to get any news of his girl.

Merle smiled. "Gettin' big now and movin' around at high speed. She can stand on her own too." Merle had puffed his chest out looking every inch a proud man.

The news hadn't made Daryl feel better it only made him feel worse; he was missing everything in Hope's life. Panic set in, what if Hope had forgotten him and didn't love him. The terrible thought was too much for Daryl to bear he started to bite his nails, his gaze dropped to the old map.

Merle hit Daryl's chest. "Hey brother I told Gov I'd gone scavenging I'm gonna need stuff to take back, prove I've been out."

Daryl nodded. "I'll throw a few things in a bag for you. We ain't got much mind." Daryl slowly limped towards his tent and Merle turned his attention to Rick.

Merle held a look of pure hate in his eyes as he inched his body closer to Rick's. "Listen you prick." Merle's gruff voice was nothing more than a growl. "I'm playin' nice for my brother and my daughter but as soon as we get back here all bets are off."

Rick stood his ground not letting Merle intimidate him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Merle gave Rick an evil smirk. "Let's just say you and that nigger better run cause ol' Merle's gonna make my baby a nice rug out of ya hides."

Rick scowled at Merle he was about to reply when Daryl returned with a small backpack full of supplies.

Daryl handed it to Merle. "It's all I could find."

Merle patted Daryl roughly on the back. "That'll do baby brother. Now remember three days time nightfall. You betta show, Hope needs ya brother so man up." Daryl gave a nod. "Well that's settled." Merle placed the bag over his shoulder. "I'll be seein' y'all real soon."

Rick watched Merle walk away from the farm. Merle's parting words sounded more like a threat than a friendly goodbye. Rick looked at Daryl the man seemed small and lost it was almost as if he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. As Merle disappeared completely from view Rick knew that if Merle was going to keep his promise about taking revenge that he'd have to be the one to take Merle down, Rick doubted Daryl would have the strength to do it and no man should have to kill his own brother.


	11. Chapter 11

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Dino-SOAR, Annelisa, rebecca taylor, Emberka-2012 and FanFicGirl10.**

**Please review.**

* * *

**Chapter 11.**

Merle was once again stood in the Governor's office. The Governor sat back in his chair; his cold blue eyes were glued on Merle.

"So what you're telling me is that you got overrun by biters." The Governor watched Merle for any sign of weakness or dishonesty. "And they got Tim."

Merle stood in front of the Governor in the same manner a solider would stand in front of their superior officer. Merle had his best poker face on display. He learnt the emotionless expression through years of Juvy and prison where keeping a hard appearance meant being top dog and not getting beaten or killed by other inmates.

"Yes sir they came out of nowhere we got overrun. Tim sacrificed himself." Merle kept his steely expression all the way through his lie. "Tim died a hero."

The Governor sat forward in his chair he placed his hands on the desk in front of him. Merle was one man the Governor couldn't read and it frustrated him. "Well Merle." The Governor spoke slowly and softly. "What am I going to do with you?" Merle felt like he was a child being scolded by the school principal. "Every time you leave lately something happens to the men you're with."

Merle crossed his arms and shrugged. "Ain't my fault the idiots are clumsy."

The Governor rose from his seat quickly, he slammed his hands on the large desk with force. "Don't play with me Merle, if I find you're up to something I'll make sure you never see Hope again." The Governor's face was red from shouting. "It's only through my good grace you have her now."

The Governor moved from behind his desk and circled Merle like a vulture trying to intimidate him. Merle clenched his jaw and fist, a rush of blood surged through his veins and the hair on the back of his neck started to prick up. Merle never took his eyes of the Governor he knew all too well that only a fool would turn their back on such a dangerous man. Merle stayed silent he couldn't wait for the day he got to finally gut the Governor like a fish, he'd be sure to make it slow and painful.

The Governor stood in front of Merle. "Until you can prove that you're to be trusted I'm taking you off all missions, you're to stay here in Woodbury. Am I understood?"

"Yes Governor." Merle didn't care about being stuck in Woodbury it gave him more time with Hope and that's all he wanted.

"Good now leave." The Governor nodded towards the door. "Oh Merle one last thing." Merle turned to face the Governor. "If I find out that you're up to something then I'll make you suffer and I'll start by tearing apart the one thing you can't live without."

Merle's mouth twitched into a snarl, the Governor was threatening Hope. "What harm could I do on my own?" Merle replied politely_. "Maybe cut of your dick and feed it to a biter."_ Merle thought to himself. The thought of the Governor in pain made Merle smile, he left the house and headed for home.

* * *

Merle returned home to find Sophia, Hope and Rowan all sitting on the floor in a circle. Sophia giggled at Hope who was happily babbling away.

"Whats goin' on?" Merle walked towards the girls to see paint splattered across the floor. Each girl had a sheet of paper on front of them and different colour paints had been put in small plastic trays.

Rowan smiled up at Merle. "I found some old paints so I borrowed some paper from the Governor's office and we decided to paint." Rowan raised her hand and wiggled her paint covered fingers. "Finger paint."

Merle smiled, he sat down pushing his body gently between Hope and Sophia. "Saw your mom today Phia." Merle dipped his finger into some of the bright blue paint and placed it on to a sheet of crisp white paper.

"Is she okay?" Sophia asked quickly. Sophia had been waiting patiently all day for news on her mother.

Merle took his whole hand and placed it in the blue paint he then placed his whole palm on the paper leaving a giant hand print.

Merle leant back slightly admiring his work. "She's worried bout ya, I told her you're fine." Merle gently took Hope's hand and placed it in to the green paint he then placed her little palm print next to his on the sheet of paper. "Ro you and the kids need to be ready to leave in three days time when I'm on watch."

"You want me too come." Rowan felt butterflies start to build in her stomach she never thought Merle would want her too leave with him.

Merle gave chuckle as Hope started placing her painted hand up his pants. "You think I'd leave ya here? The Governor ain't dumb he'd know you the one who helped me, and then god knows what he'd do to ya." Merle looked up at Rowan and gave her a flirty wink. "Besides honey bunch I don't want ya gettin Merle withdrawals now do I." Merle gave a husky laugh.

Rowan smirked she dunked her hands into the paint. "Well." Rowan pulled herself to her knees. "You have a high opinion of yourself mister." Rowan launched herself at Merle, he fell on to his back and Rowan straddled his chest. She then placed her hands firmly on Merle's cheeks leaving two handprints on his face.

Merle laughed. "Shit woman you're crazy."

Rowan placed both Hope's hands in the paint and sat the small girl on Merle's chest. "Come on girls lets get him." Rowan laughed playfully as Hope slapped her hands on Merle's face.

"Dada! Dada!" Hope squealed.

Sophia mixed her hands in the red and white paint making a stunning shade of pink. She knelt down by Merle's head smiling widely; she'd never had so much fun.

"No." Merle laughed waving his stump softly at Sophia. "Not pink I ain't no pussy." Sophia placed her hands on Merle's forehead leaving two pink handprints on his head.

Rowan laughed and hugged Hope tightly. "Well I really think we should clean up." Rowan climbed off Merle chest. "Come on Sophia you can have the first shower I'll get your pyjamas." Sophia followed Rowan out of the living room.

Merle tucked his stump behind Hope's back and slowly sat up letting the small girl slide down his chest and on to his lap. Hope yawned.

"Tired my princess?" Merle kissed every inch of Hope's face. "Let daddy wash those dirty paws for ya."

Merle stood up and took Hope into the kitchen. He sat Hope in her high chair whilst he grabbed a damp cloth. Merle softly cleaned away the paint from one of Hope's hands. As soon as the hand was spotless Merle placed a soft kiss on Hope's palm, he then cleaned her other hand and gave her another small tender kiss on her newly cleaned hand.

Merle picked Hope up. "Bed now my little squirt and then soon we're gonna go live on a farm. You can have your own pony." Merle rubbed his nose against Hope's tiny button nose.

By the time Merle entered the bedroom Rowan was already tucking Sophia in to her bed, she held the doll that Merle had given her close to her body.

Sophia yawned. "Merle."

Merle placed Hope into her crib. "What's up darlin'?" Merle placed a kiss on Hope's head.

"Is the farm nice?" Sophia snuggled down into the bed.

Merle walked over to Sophia. "Sure is they got horses to ride and chickens to chase." Merle watched Sophia slowly drift off to sleep. Then he did something that shocked even himself. Merle stooped down low and placed a small tender kiss on Sophia's head.

Rowan stood in the door way she tucked her black hair behind her ear and smiled softly. "I'm starting to think you're nothing but a soft teddy bear Merle." Rowan nudged Merle as he stood beside her. "You love kids, I bet you like puppies and kittens too."

Merle gently pushed Rowan out of the girl's room; he gave Rowan a playful smile. "Always wanted a puppy." Merle looked down at his missing arm. "Tell you what I hate." Rowan looked at Merle waiting for some comical flirty punch line. "Prick cops who cuff me to a roof and that dumb spear chucker who dropped the fuckin' keys."

Rowan stood confused as she watched Merle walk back into the living room, Rowan followed Merle. "I don't get it."

Merle flopped onto the sofa. "Ain't nothin to get. All ya need to know is that there's gonna be some revenge comin' to the fuckers who left me." Merle waved his damaged arm at Rowan.

Rowan shook her head in disbelief. "Merle you're going to need that group to look after Hope. You and Daryl aren't..."

Merle stood up. "Like I told Daryl it's me and him that's all Hope needs." Even with paint smeared across his face Merle still looked managed to look fearsome and wild.

Rowan moved closer to Merle pushing her tiny frame into his personal space, she refused to let Merle scare her. "You listen to me I'm not your brother and I won't take your shit. Two men can't protect one baby and you know it."

Merle pushed his face closer to Rowan's anger flashed in Merle's eyes. "You don't know shit I..."

Rowan poked Merle in the chest. "What happens if one of you gets sick? What if the Governor tracks you both down. You need a group." Merle opened his mouth. "No! No, you listen to me you need to make a choice Hope's safety or your sick revenge." Rowan stormed towards the door as she opened it she turned her head to look at Merle. "I pray to God you make the right choice otherwise you're going to lose your whole world through your own stupidity." Rowan left slamming the door behind her.

Merle was left speechless he ran his hand through his sort hair and huffed. He needed a cigarette and a bottle of whiskey.


	12. Chapter 12

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to piratejessieswaby, Annelisa, FanFicGirl10, Emberka-2012,** **Brazen Hussy, Dino-SOAR and Zeyden.**

**Please review.**

* * *

**Chapter 12.**

The next morning Rowan's words kept replaying over and over again in Merle's head. Merle wasn't stupid, the only reason Merle and Daryl initially joined the Atlanta group was because both he and Daryl knew that looking for Hope was going to be a hard task and they would need to have a group to watch their backs. The Atlanta group seemed as good as any other.

Merle looked at Hope she sat on the floor with Sophia playing tea party. Well Sophia was playing tea party Hope was just chewing on the plastic saucer. Sophia had placed three small plastic pink cups on the floor one in front of Hope that was now covered in Hope's spit, one in front of herself and the final teacup had been given too Sophia's doll. Merle couldn't hell but smile as Sophia poured imaginary tea into the cups. Hope had become attached to Sophia in such a short time but then so had Merle.

The front door flew open with such force it slammed against the wall making everyone jump. Merle instinctively picked up Hope and placed his body protectively in front of Sophia. The Governor entered the house with Crowley, Martinez and Rowan behind him.

Merle naturally looked at Rowan for answers the dark haired woman just mouthed. _"Sorry."_ At Merle.

The Governor took a step towards Merle and the girls. As the man moved closer Sophia gripped the back of Merle's shirt.

There were a few moments of uneasy silence before the Governor spoke. "How are we all this morning?" He asked calmly. The Governor rubbed Hope's cheek.

A low growl sounded from the back of Merle's throat, it was threatening enough to make the Governor back away from the trio. "We were good till you lot stormed in, ain't ya heard of knockin?"

The Governor smiled. "Well Merle." He almost spat Merle's name. "Since your last two outings have ended in failure and lost me one man and injured another."

Merle looked over at Crowley the man had a large black bruise over his nose and a scar on his forehead. "He's healin' alright." Merle smirked.

"Not the point." The Governor barked, "Until you prove yourself to me I'm having someone watch you every minute of everyday and I'm having your house checked for anything suspicious." Merle held Hope tighter to him. "Martinez and I will check the bedrooms. Crowley you search the living room and kitchen."

As soon as Martinez and the Governor disappeared from view Rowan hurried to Merle's side and took Hope from his arms. She looked over at Crowley who seemed to be happily tearing the room apart.

"Sorry." She whispered. "I didn't know about this until the last minute."

Merle watched Crowley he hated the man. Crowley was now hovering around Hope and Sophia's toys. "No it's good, this way he don't suspect you. Like the prick says I'm gonna be under watch so you're gonna have to do most the work." Rowan nodded she wasn't going to let Merle down she had grown fond of him.

Crowley picked up Sophia's doll. "What's this playing tea party now Merle?" Crowley laughed. "I'll ask the Governor to get you a nice pink dress."

Merle snorted. "Greens more my colour." He wasn't about to rise to Crowley's bear baiting.

Crowley's eyes narrowed, he gripped the porcelain doll tighter. "Maybe you're hiding something in this dolly, best pull it apart and check." Crowley started to pull at the doll's arm

Sophia ran from behind Merle. "No! Not Dixie she's mine." Sophia ran at Crowley she tried to grab the doll out of his hands but she was to short. Crowley pushed Sophia over and laughed at the small girl lying sprawled out on the floor.

Merle saw red and snapped he bolted forward smashing his fist heavily against Crowley's face once again breaking the man's nose. Crowley fell to the floor and dropped the doll. Merle kicked the man continuously in the ribs until cracking of bone was heard. Sophia pulled herself to her feet and ran back towards Rowan.

"Merle stop!" Rowan screamed.

Merle didn't listen he carried on his assault kicking and punching the screaming man. Hope started to cry and Merle automatically stopped. Merle grabbed Crowley's shirt and raised him slightly off the floor.

"Next time you pick on a little girl you may want to make sure the man protectin' her ain't an asshole with anger issues." Merle dropped Crowley's body back to the floor and he cried out in pain.

Merle picked up the doll and turned to see the Governor staring at him. "Well I should punish you for that." The Governor walked over to Hope and played with her soft curls, Merle's whole body tensed up. "But Crowley did provoke you. Hmmm." The Governor looked at Merle. "Rowan will be keeping an eye on you today." Merle's body loosened up slightly. "Martinez, take Crowley to doctor Stevens."

Martinez walked over to Crowley and slowly pulled him off the floor each movement made Crowley whine in pain blood poured from his broken nose and every breath he took made him yelp.

The Governor moved towards Merle he was almost strutting. "Thank you Merle today you've shown your daughter what sort of man you are, I knew you couldn't hide the monster inside for much longer."

Merle felt sick the Governor had made Crowley purposely bait him so he would scare Hope. "She knows I'd never hurt her." Merle replied he couldn't hide the uncertainty in his voice. Merle looked back at Hope and Sophia both girls were clinging to Rowan and Hope wouldn't stop crying.

The Governor smirked. "Well she's a baby now but what about when she grows older? What then? You'll be nothing more than an embarrassment to her." Merle felt his anger starting to rise. "Oh and one last thing before I leave you, Haley will be taking watch with you tomorrow night."

"But the east wall only needs one guard." Merle protested. He knew having anyone with him would throw his plan to sneak the girls out off course completely.

"I told you I'm keeping an eye on you and Haley needs the training. Since you've become a father figure to Sophia you're the perfect candidate. Do you have a problem?"

Merle's jaw tightened once again. "No." Merle was just going to have to find a way around the unwelcome guest.

The Governor smiled. "Good. Now I had better check on Crowley." The Governor left the house and Merle let out a frustrated snarl, he was just waiting for the day he got to take revenge on the sick man.

* * *

Daryl had gathered anything he could find that would be useful for Hope's homecoming. Hershel had given Daryl some hand me down baby items from his children. The arrival of a baby seemed to give the old man a spark of joy and happiness. Daryl had placed all the baby items outside his tent.

"Is she going to fit?" Daryl cocked his head in the direction of Dale's voice.

Daryl squinted back to the tent and shrugged. "I figure Merle and I will sleep outside and Hope can have the tent."

Dale nodded towards his RV. "Or you boys and Little Miss Dixon could take the RV." Dale had always had time for Merle and Daryl. The Dixon men had kept them safe and fed back at the quarry and they had never asked for anything in return.

Daryl smiled. "Thanks." Daryl handed Dale a small box of baby clothes.

Both men walked towards the RV. "So how old would she be now." Dale asked.

Daryl took a deep breath he wasn't sure what month they were in anymore. It felt like years had gone by since he lost Hope. "Dunno maybe eight, nine months I'm not sure anymore."

Dale walked into the RV and placed the box on the table. "Well I guess dates and months don't matter so much now." Dale turned to start bringing in the other boxes when he caught the sad look in Daryl's eyes. "You okay son?"

Daryl sighed he hadn't spoken about Hope before and now everyone knew about the girl it felt like an emotional floodgate had been opened for him. "What if she don't remember me."

Dale removed his hat and ran his hand through his hair. "She's still young, she's learning as long as you're with her now you'll both be fine."

Daryl bit his nails he hoped the old man was right. "I'm just gonna collect the rest of the stuff." Daryl left the vehicle and made his way back towards the tent.

"Hey Daryl wait up!" Shane yelled after him. Daryl stopped and rolled his eyes, usually people left Daryl alone but ever since they found out he had a child they were all over him. Shane jogged towards him. "I wanna talk to you."

Shane stopped just in front of Daryl. "What?" Daryl grumbled he was bracing himself for an argument about how much of a danger Hope would be to the group.

Shane looked slightly sheepish he looked down at his boots and slowly looked back up at Daryl. "I just wanted to say sorry."

The apology came as a shock. Daryl could have been knocked down with a feather. "What?"

Shane watched Carl sitting next to Lori doing his school work. "You and your brother did what you had to for your girl." Shane gave a light sigh. "I know what it's like to do anything to protect the ones you love."

Daryl nodded Shane was always willing to do whatever needed to be done to protect both Carl and Lori. "It's okay." For the first time in a long time the world seemed right. Shane patted Daryl on the arm and walked off.

Several more boxes sat outside Daryl's tent all of them were filled with clothes and toys for children of different ages. A small stuffed toy dog caught Daryl's eye, the dog was mainly white with large brown spots over its body. Daryl squatted next to the box and picked up the dog, it looked like it had been loved by someone in the Greene household but it was still soft and in good condition. Daryl decided Hope would like the toy.

Maggie stood over Daryl her shadow blocked out the sun. Daryl looked up at Maggie and squinted. "That's Rolo." Maggie smiled. Daryl stood up and handed the toy to the farmer's daughter. "He used to be mine I loved playin' with him."

"Sorry it was in the box." Daryl could see Maggie getting teary eyed at the stuffed animal.

Maggie rubbed the dog against her face it still held all her favourite childhood smells and memories. "It was the last thing my mom gave me before she died." A lump formed in Maggie's throat she handed the toy back to Daryl. "I hope Hope loves Rolo as much as I did. He's a good dog."

Daryl gave a small chuckle his whole face lit up. "I'm sure Rolo will take down some walkers."

Maggie laughed she tucked her hair behind her ear. "I can't wait to meet the girl who makes you act like this."

Daryl smiled and looked up at the steadily setting sun just one more day and his girl would be home.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to FanFicGirl10, Annelisa, Emberka-2012, Dino-SOAR and Brazen-Hussy.**

**FanFicGirl10 I like the idea of a Daddy Dixon poll. I'm interested to see who the readers think the father is. I know which one it is and I did have a chapter for it in Dixon's Hope but decided not to post it. I also have a chapter idea where they daddy is revealed in this story but I'm not sure if I'll leave it in or not. So who do you all think it is Merle or Daryl? **

**Please review.**

* * *

**Chapter 13.**

Night had started to fall in Woodbury Merle stood on the East wall on watch Haley sat on the old plastic chair with her bow by her side. Merle still had no idea how he was going to deal with Haley she was a good kid who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Luckily for Merle he had Rowan on his side and she'd come up with a plan of her own. Rowan carried Hope and led Sophia towards the East wall. Moving around the town was an easy task for Rowan even with the children; she knew where every person was at every minute of the day thanks to her work with the Governor. Rowan carried a heavy backpack filled with supplies on her back she had only packed the essentials but the bag seemed to weigh a ton.

Rowan ducked down an alleyway and handed Hope to Sophia. She placed her bag on the floor and looked down at Sophia. "Okay you stay here okay and don't come out until I call you." Rowan placed a small soft kiss on both girls head. She walked back out on to the main street she started to pray that Hope would stay silent for Sophia.

As Rowan approached the East wall she could see the outline of Merle's burly figure he was facing away from her looking over the wall, probably looking for Daryl. Rowan cleared her throat making both Merle and Haley turn around.

When Merle saw Rowan standing in the dark street alone his heart started to pound heavily against his rib cage. "Ro what ya doin' here?"

Rowan caught the panic in Merle's voice instantly; she gave him a warm calm look. "The Governor wants to see Haley right away."

Haley looked confused. "What, why?"

Rowan gave a small shrug. "He didn't say and it's not my place to ask but I wouldn't keep him waiting." Rowan said curtly.

Haley nodded and picked up her bow. "Are you going to be okay?" Haley asked Merle.

Merle scowled, the girl was making it sound like she was looking after him. "Oh I'm sure I'll be fine sweetheart, Rowan will take care of me." Haley climbed down from the wall and jogged down the street.

As soon as Haley was out of sight Rowan ran back down the alley she pulled the bag onto her back and took Hope from Sophia. "Come on now hurry." Rowan rushed Sophia.

The girls hurried towards Merle. "C'mon now quick." Merle grabbed Hope.

"Dada." Hope squealed.

"Hush now baby girl." Merle whispered. Merle turned to Rowan. "They ain't here yet."

Rowan started to panic. "What are we going to do?"

"Calm down sugar, we make a move."

Merle nudged Sophia with his hip. "Up you go girl." Sophia started the climb up the wooden ladder until she reached that top of the wall. "Right babydoll you next and I'll hand Hope up."

Rowan smiled at Merle's new nickname for her she quickly climbed up the wooden ladder and bent down to get Hope. The small girl whined as she left Merle's arms. "Come on Hope hush now." Rowan kissed Hope on the cheek.

Merle joined the girls on the wall and looked out into the woods. "C'mon Daryl." Merle muttered. Hope whined he knew they couldn't wait any longer. "Right lets move." Merle sat on the edge of the wall dangling his legs over the side. "I'll go down first." He looked up at Rowan and gave her a wink. "You seem like the sort of girl who likes a man to go down."

Rowan firmly but gently kicked Merle in the back. "Merle now is not the time."

Merle turned his body and grabbed the top of the wall with his good hand, he smiled at Rowan. "So there will be a time then sugar?" Before Rowan could answer Merle let his body drop to the floor.

Merle turned around to face the wall again and helped Sophia down. Rowan carefully handed Hope down to Merle who passed her to Sophia. Then Rowan gave Merle a mischievous grin and dropped the heavy bag at Merle's feet. The bag only just missed crushing Merle's toes.

Merle looked up at Rowan with wide eyes. "Damn Ro that almost hit me."

Rowan giggled. "I guess I should work on my aim then."

Merle playfully pouted. "Get down here woman." Merle stretched his arms out to help Rowan. "C'mon now get down here."

The playful flirting was cut short when a gunshot sounded. Rowan let out a yelp of pain.

Rowan's body fell from the wall Merle only manage to catch the woman. "Ro." Merle placed Rowan on the floor. "Rowan answer me."

A small whimper escaped Rowan's lips. "My shoulder." She sobbed.

Hope started to cry and Sophia gave a large gasp. "Well if it isn't Merle." Merle turned around to see Crowley. The man looked a mess his face was bruised and battered; Merle's attack had left him a mangled mess. "Got him Gov."

Crowley was joined by the Governor and Shupert. The Governor raised his gun. "I gave you everything Merle." The man spat angrily.

Merle gave a large growl as his pushed Sophia and Hope behind his body protectively. Rowan slowly pulled herself to her feet she placed her hand on her bleeding shoulder. "Merle." She whined.

"I owe you shit." Merle barked.

The Governor stepped towards Merle. "I saved Hope, you don't deserve her. She's too good for your redneck family." The Governor looked at Rowan in disgust. "Haley really needs to work on her aim." He hissed. "So Rowan is this who you choose, this redneck scum over me."

Rowan felt tears of pain roll down her cheeks, she felt sick and dizzy. "He's a better man than you." Rowan gave a small whine of pain. "He's a better father than you."

The Governor made a grab for Rowan but Merle raised his knife. "Don't you fuckin' touch her." Merle growled.

The Governor looked at Merle and smirked. "Do you have feelings for her?" The Governor looked deep into Merle's eyes and laughed. "Oh you do don't you. Beautiful, I'll make you watch me kill her first, and then I'll take Hope and keep her as my own." The Governor's smile broadened. "She'll be calling me daddy."

A dull thud came from behind the Governor the man turned to see Shupert's body hit the ground; an arrow was lodged deep in the dead man's eye. Crowley turned and got hit in the temple by a bullet. His brain matter covered the Governor before he hit the floor. Daryl and Rick walked up to the Governor with their weapons raised. In a fit of anger Merle ran forward he drove his knife straight through the Governor's back and pushed the man to the floor.

"Merle." Rowan's whispers caught Merle's attention. Rowan fell forward Merle turned quickly he managed to catch her before she hit the floor.

Daryl shouldered his crossbow and took the crying Hope from Sophia's arms. "Dada, dada." Hope cried. The words were like a knife in Daryl's heart his girl was calling Merle daddy.

"We need to move." Rick yelled. "We go a car not far from here." Rick instructed Merle.

Merle carefully picked up Rowan trying his hardest not to catch her on his bladed stump.

"Stay awake Ro." Merle pleaded with the woman. Merle felt panic stricken, he knew that time was going to be a factor now. Rowan's life was hanging in the balance.

Rick started to lead the group through the woods and towards the waiting vehicle. "Quickly." Rick hissed he kept his eyes open for any walkers lurking around in the darkness of the night.

Daryl kept one eye on Sophia who was a few feet in front of him whilst trying his hardest to keep Hope silent. Hope was now waving her hands wildly trying to break out of Daryl's arms. She kicked her legs against Daryl's body and screamed. Daryl was finding it hard to keep a firm grip on the wiggling child.

"Please be quiet bug." Daryl begged. He knew that every scream and cry would give away the small groups position.

Hope slapped her hand against Daryl's face. As her soft pudgy hand made contact with his stubble she stopped crying and looked at Daryl. Hope's hand followed Daryl's stubble all the way down to his chin her hand found its way to his goatee. Hope played with Daryl's beard; it was almost as if it sparked a memory in her. Hope gave a soft coo and a small sniffle.

"Atta girl." Daryl soothed. "You're home now baby. Daddy's got ya."

It wasn't long before they reached the car. Rick jumped in the drivers seat, Daryl took the passengers side with Hope on his lap. Sophia waited for Merle to sit Rowan in the car before entering behind the large man.

Merle slipped his shirt off and pulled Rowan's thin jumper away from her shoulder to get a better look at the wound. "C'mon Ro." Merle whispered breathlessly as he placed his shirt against the wound. "Stay with me c'mon girl." Merle felt like his throat was tightening as he fought back the urge to cry.

Rick drove like a madman back to the farm he dodged a few walkers in the road before turning up the small dirt track that led to the Greene household. The car screeched to a halt and Rick jumped out.

"HERSHEL!" Rick cried out as they neared the house. Rick ran up the steps to the porch, his cries had woken up the whole group. "HERSHEL!" Rick pushed the door open and Merle ran in carrying Rowan.

Patricia was the first one to see Merle carrying the injured woman. "Bring her in here." Patricia guided Merle into a small bedroom. "Place her on the bed." Merle did as he was told he gentle placed Rowan's limp body on the bed.

Hershel came in rolling up his sleeves. "Everybody out, Patricia I need my bag."

Merle didn't want to leave Rowan he wanted to help her. He wanted to make it all better just like she had made his life better. Rick gently took Merle's arm and led him out of the bedroom. Merle felt numb, he should have sent Rowan down first, and he should never have pulled her into his crazy plan. Merle placed his back against the wall he felt his legs buckle, his body slid down the wall and he sat on the floor with his head bowed low.

Rick placed his hand on Merle's shoulder he wanted to say something to help the broken man but he couldn't find the words he just gave Merle's shoulder a gentle squeeze.

Merle looked up at Rick the man had saved not only him but also his baby girl and for that Merle was grateful. "Thank you." Merle whispered.

* * *

Daryl sat on the bed in the RV with Hope on his lap he turned the girl to face him. "Let me see ya then bug."

Daryl took in every inch of Hope her curly brown hair, her crystal blue eyes, her cute button nose, her chubby cheeks and her little crocked smile. Daryl's heart skipped a beat when Hope gave him a large toothy smile.

"Where did ya get them from then huh?" Daryl wondered what else he'd missed.

Hope pointed at Daryl and blew a raspberry at him. The noise made Daryl laugh which in turn made Hope laugh.

"My god sweetheart you're somethin' else." Daryl pulled Hope close to his body he buried his nose in her hair taking in the perfect sweet smell of his girl.

Daryl closed his eyes and sighed deeply. He'd dreamt about this a thousand times and now it was finally real, his Hope was home. A small tear leaked from the corner of Daryl's eye and rolled down his check.

"Daddy loves you bug, he ain't ever lettin' you go again." Daryl laid down on the bed letting Hope rest on his chest.

Hope let out a soft yawn and wiggled her body on Daryl's chest. Daryl twisted Hope's soft curls around his fingertips and smiled as Hope let out a snort.

"You still ain't a lady then bug, snortin' like a damn pig." Daryl yawned. "I'm gonna get you a crossbow of your own and then those damn walkers betta watch out." Daryl yawned again. "Dixon and daughter ass stompers." Daryl gave a contented sigh and drifted off into the first peaceful sleep he'd had in a long time.

* * *

Martinez ran towards the Governor's body on lying on the floor.

"Shit Gov." Martinez bent down and searched for a pulse and he found a very weak one. "Over here!" He called out.

Haley walked towards Martinez. "Is he dead?" She whispered.

Martinez shook his head. "He's got a faint pulse, get the doc and Milton." Haley stood still just staring at the Governor's body. "Now!" Martinez yelled. Haley nodded and ran back towards the gates.

Martinez pulled the Governor up to his feet. "Don't worry boss we'll fix you up." Martinez slowly pulled the Governor towards the gate he took one final look back at Crowley and Shupert's bodies on the floor. "Sorry." He whispered to his dead friends.


	14. Chapter 14

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks too Annelisa, piratejessieswaby, Dino-SOAR, Brazen Hussy, Emberka-2012, BeingLolaStar, FanFicGirl10 and Effigy.**

**I have to say I agree with BeingLolaStar I like Daryl and Merle as a super daddy team so Hope's father will remain a mystery.**

**Please review.**

* * *

**Chapter 14.**

The group stood around a freshly dug grave each member took a moment of silence. Sophia looked around and noticed Merle missing, she gently let go of her mothers hand a slid away from the group.

Merle was sitting on an old stone wall looking off into the woods when Sophia footsteps caught his attention. He knew they were Sophia's from the way she walked with light cautious steps.

"You best get back to ya ma girl." Merle muttered.

Sophia pulled her body up onto the stone wall to sit next to Merle. "Why aren't you at the funeral, you liked Rowan didn't you?" Merle confused Sophia, after he'd put Rowan down he had disappeared from the group and left Rick and T-Dogg to dig the grave and bury Rowan.

Merle kept his eyes on the tree line of the woods the truth was he hated funerals they were pointless things where people lied. At his fathers funeral people had turned up and said what a decent man his father was and how he was taken from them too soon. Merle's opinion was that his old man wasn't taken soon enough.

"Ain't none of your business." Merle replied curtly. Merle felt hollow inside. He never got to thank Rowan or say goodbye she just left him without closure like the rest of the people in his life.

Sophia sighed she could see Merle was upset his body was slumped forward and his eyes were full of sorrow. "Are you going to play with Hope today, I bet see misses you." Sophia hoped by mentioning his daughter Merle might smile or do something.

Merle shrugged he hadn't seen Hope for the last twenty four hours he been to numb after watching Rowan slip away and then having to put a bullet in her head just shattered him. "Daryl needs to bond." Merle muttered.

Sophia slipped her tiny hand into Merle's large one. "Can you teach me to shoot?" Sophia asked softly.

Merle looked down at Sophia. "You betta ask your ma fist." Merle muttered. Merle knew what Sophia was doing and in a way he was grateful to her it was nice to know someone did care.

Sophia gave and enthusiastic nod and smile she jumped down off the wall and made her way back to camp.

* * *

Daryl held Hope close to his body as he walked into the stables. Daryl walked up to a large grey horse.

"Look at this bug it's a horse." Daryl slowly placed Hope's palm softly on the horse's nose.

Hope giggled at the feeling of the creature's soft fur. "Baa." She laughed as the horse let out a large snort of air against her hand.

Daryl laughed and kissed Hope's chubby cheek. "No bug they go neigh but daddy will let ya off cause your too damn cute."

A small spider dangled from the top of the stable door making Hope squeal and cry. "Dada!" Daryl wasn't sure if she was crying for Merle or him, he hoped it was for him. Daryl wanted so much for his girl to call him dada.

Daryl squinted at the tiny spider that had upset his girl. "C'mon now bug you ain't got to be scared of that." Daryl shifted Hope's weight into one of his arms and extended his free hand catching the spider. He let the spider run across his fingers and thumb. "Look at him he ain't scary."

Hope gazed down at the spider zipping around Daryl's large hand she rocked her body in Daryl's arms and giggled.

"See bug he ain't a monster just a spider." Daryl placed the spider back on the stable door. "Let's go see Dale, see what food he's got." Daryl kissed the top of Hope's head.

Daryl walked out of the barn and towards the RV, Hope twisted her head around trying to take in all the new sights and sounds around her. Daryl made sure to walk as quick as he could otherwise people would want to stop him and talk to Hope and Daryl wanted to make the most of his Merle free time with Hope as he could.

Dale was stood on top of the RV and gave Daryl a smile as he walked towards him. "Hope you don't mind but I set up food for little miss sunshine."

"Thanks." Daryl called back up. "You seen Merle?" Daryl was worried about his brother from what Sophia had said Rowan was his only friend in Woodbury and without her Merle would never have been able to sneak Hope out, both Daryl and Merle owed Rowan a lot.

Dale shook his head. "You know your brother probably blowing off steam somewhere."

Daryl walked into the RV where a small plastic pink bowl of food sat on the side waiting for him. Daryl picked up the bowl.

"Looks good huh." Daryl looked at the mashed up food inside the bowl. "Ready for lunch."

Daryl sat down at the table and placed Hope on his lap he scooped a small spoonful of the food out of the bowl and placed it into Hope's mouth. Hope tilted her head up to look at Daryl she clutched her hands together and smiled making her tiny nose scrunch up.

Hope dunked her hand in her food and held her hand up towards Daryl. "Why thank you darlin'." Daryl smiled as he ate the mushy food out of Hope's hand.

* * *

Merle was still sat on the old brick wall when he noticed Shane leave the woods. Shane looked over at Merle and made his way towards him.

_"Great just what I need, that dumb prick startin' on me."_ Merle thought to himself. As Shane got closer to Merle he thought about moving but soon realised he had nowhere to go.

"Hey." Shane stood in front of Merle. "Didn't see you at the funeral this morning."

Merle shrugged it was odd how a group that didn't care that he'd been missing for months all of a sudden noticed his absence. "Yeah we'll it ain't like I can do anythin' bout it Ro's dead and that's it."

Shane dropped his gaze to the floor he shuffled around uncomfortably on his feet. "I get it." Shane squinted up at Merle.

Merle huffed. "Get what?"

"You lost someone you loved. I get it, so have I." Shane felt it somehow cathartic to share the information with Merle. Shane had kept his feelings locked up for so long they'd started to eat at him, he couldn't talk to Rick his best friend about how he felt he couldn't talk to anybody.

Merle chuckled. "Oh yeah you're fuckin' officer Friendly's wife." Merle smirked. "Bet that went down like a ton of bricks when he found out."

Shane gave a sniff and a shrug. "He don't know and now Lori wants nothin to do with me but you...that girl liked you enough to die for you at least you get to morn your girl and put her behind you." Shane looked into Merle's eyes. "At least you still get to be a daddy I lost my chance."

Merle took a deep breath Shane was right Rowan had wanted better for Hope she had seen the good in Merle. "I ain't no pussy, I ain't up here cryin over a girl." Merle jumped down from the wall. "Just wanted to get away from you lot."

Shane chuckled. "Yeah the group can be a major pain in the ass but it's safer with them than without."

Merle shook his head. "We need to sort this place out if we're stayin."

Shane looked confused. "What do you mean?"

Merle started the walk back to the farm with Shane at his side. "This place is slap bang in the middle of a red zone. If we don't prepare then a herd is gonna blow through here and tear us apart."

Shane stopped walking as he tried to process the news. "What the hell man, are you being serious?"

Merle turned to face Shane. "Course I am I ain't about to put my baby in danger."

Shane stated walking again but this time his pace was faster and more urgent. "We need to tell the others." The pair walked towards the campsite together ready to do what needed to be done to protect their family.

* * *

The infirmary in Woodbury held a ghostly silence to it. Milton hadn't moved from his leader's side since doctor Stevens had finished with him.

Martinez walked into the room. "How's he doing?"

Milton looked away from the Governor. "Doctor Stevens says it's touch and go the next few days are vital." Milton removed his glasses and cleaned them on his shirt. "What are you going to do?"

Martinez bit his lip. "I'm going to take a small group out and search for Merle I want to find Hope for the Gov before he wakes up."

Milton nodded. "Just be careful and return before nightfall we need to make sure Woodbury is protected."

Martinez gave Milton a polite nod and left the room. Milton picked up a cup of tea and took a sip he'd tried to warn the Governor Merle was dangerous but he wouldn't listen and now he was paying the price and Milton knew if the Governor died then Woodbury would die along with him.

* * *

**I always felt sorry for Shane he really loved Lori and Carl and watching them drift away must have been heart-breaking I really don't think he was a bad guy deep down he just snapped so I thought I'd give him someone to talk to and found it funny that it would be Merle. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Annelisa, piratejessieswaby, Brazen Hussy, FanFicGirl10, Emberka-2012, BeingLolaStar and electrogirl88.**

**I'm sort of sorry for killing off Rowan she was only supposed to be used as a friend for Merle in Woodbury I wanted to experiment with a Shane, Merle friendship they have so much in common but I promise you Merle won't be lonely forever.**

**Please review.**

* * *

**Chapter 15**

Shane and Merle entered the small camp. "Rick." Shane called out. "Rick!"

Shane's yelling brought the whole group towards the two men. Daryl walked over to Merle with Hope in his arms.

"What's goin on?" Daryl asked. Hope reached out towards Merle.

Merle rubbed his finger down Hope's rosy cheek. "Just takin care off business brother."

Rick came out of his tent with Carl close behind him. "Shane, what's going on?"

Shane stood with his hands on his hips. "The farm ain't safe." Shane stated.

Daryl noticed Glenn and Dale exchanging nervous glances. "How did you find out?" Glenn asked nervously.

Shane turned his head in Glenn's direction. "Merle told me."

Glenn looked confused. "Merle told you about the walkers in the barn?"

Everyone in the group fell silent each member tried to process the news. Merle felt his stomach knot he'd brought Hope from one dangerous place to another.

"What the fuck?" Merle grabbed Glenn's shirt and pulled him up towards his face. "You tellin me my baby girl is livin on a farm with biters in the barn."

Rick pulled Glenn out of Merle's grip. "Put him down." Rick placed his body in-between the men. "Glenn look at me are you sure?" Rick asked calmly.

Glenn looked over at Dale and nodded. "Yeah I saw them."

Shane shook his head. "This is screwed up man we gotta deal with this we gotta put them down."

Rick looked over his shoulder at Shane. "Let me talk to Hershel I'll..."

Dale sighed. "Hershel thinks they're sick."

Daryl pulled Hope close to his body he watched Shane and Merle turn their attention to Dale. "You knew." Merle spat. "You knew and you let me bring my baby here."

Daryl decided to try and diffuse the situation. "Let Rick talk to Hershel and then see what happens." Merle looked like he was about to punch Daryl. "The barn seems safe."

Shane snorted. "Well I'm guarding that barn." He snapped.

Merle gave a swift nod. "I'm with you, I ain't gonna stand around talkin like a pussy." Merle looked at Shane. "I'll grab my stuff and meet you up there."

Shane gave Merle a pat on the back, finally someone was on his side. Shane walked towards the old barn he never thought he'd see the day that he would be siding with Merle Dixon over Rick but then Rick seemed to be taking Daryl as his wingman so times were changing.

Merle walked into the RV with Daryl and Hope right behind him.

"We can't leave here its safe." Daryl protested.

Merle took Hope from Daryl's arms and placed a large kiss on Hope's cheek. Hope giggled and patted Merle's face.

"Listen I want a safe place for Hope, there's biters in the barn and this place is in the middle of a red zone." Merle flipped Hope upside down and wiggled her until the sound of her laughter filled the RV.

Daryl felt his heart jump up into his throat watching Merle play with Hope in such a reckless manner. "Be careful." Daryl growled.

Merle pulled Hope back up to his chest he placed his stump securely around her back. "We need to secure this place or move on." Merle handed Hope back to Daryl as he located his knife and placed it on his wrist guard. Hope blew a raspberry at Merle and the grown man blew one back making Hope laugh. "See you later brother." Merle kissed Hope on the head and left.

Daryl sighed and sat down on the bed in the back of the RV. "Just you and me today bug." Daryl rubbed his nose against hers. "What do you wanna do with daddy?" Daryl smiled. "I know what we'll do." Daryl pulled a small purple coat on Hope's body. "It's cold out don't want ya gettin sick, I'm sure I got mittens somewhere."

* * *

Shane and Merle sat on a fence opposite the barn both men sat in silence.

Shane looked at Merle he had his bladed stump resting on his lap. "How far did you make it?" Shane nodded at Merle's missing hand.

"To Hope's house then I passed out, body couldn't take no more. Next thing I know I'm wakin up in Woodbury." Merle waved his stump. "Still feel my hand sometimes doc told me it was phantom pains." Shane went silent again. "Y'know you need to forget about Officer Friendly's woman go for someone else, Blondie keeps eyefuckin ya."

Shane gripped the fence tightly his fingers started to turn white. "I can't, I love her I've done things for her and Carl Rick wouldn't be able to do. I..." Shane stopped himself he didn't know if he could trust Merle.

"Killed someone." Merle added.

Shane looked shocked. "How did you know?"

Merle took a deep breath. "I can see it in your eyes. I killed for Hope; don't make us bad we're just protectin what's ours."

Shane sat speechless he felt a weight lift off him. Shane could admit when he was wrong and he had been wrong about Merle Dixon, take away the drugs, give him his family and Merle was a good man.

* * *

Daryl had dressed Hope in a snuggly purple coat and matching mittens, he had pulled the hood up on Hope's coat so the child didn't get cold ears. He even managed to find a small pink scarf that was a little bit big for Hope so Daryl just wrapped it around her a few times.

Daryl placed his crossbow over his shoulder. "C'mon bug let's go ride a horse." Daryl started too walk towards the stables. Hope babbled a few muffled words from under her large scarf.

When Daryl entered the stable he saw Glenn sitting in an empty stall. The Korean looked lonely and lost. "Penny for 'em." Daryl smiled.

Glenn looked up at Daryl he couldn't help but smile. Daryl had wrapped Hope up so well that all he could see were a pair of large blue eyes. "Where are you two going the Arctic?" Glenn chuckled.

Daryl frowned. "I don't want her catchin' a cold." Daryl pulled the scarf away from Hope's mouth revealing her toothy smile.

Glenn stood up and stretched out his arms. "May I?" Daryl reluctantly handed Hope to him. Glenn pulled Hope's mittens off her hands they dangled from the selves of her coat. "You must be boiling." Glenn smiled at Hope.

Daryl snorted. "She's fine. Why ain't you with Bo Peep?"

"Maggies angry at me for telling you lot about the walkers." Hope rammed her fingers up Glenn's nose.

"No bug that ain't polite." Daryl softly pulled her hand away and instantly Hope's other hand shot up Glenn's nostril. "Yucky." Daryl pulled her other hand down. "Look shortround I don't know shit about women just say you're sorry and give her a gift or somethin."

Glenn looked into Hope's large eyes. "You better hope daddy Merle is better than daddy Daryl with relationship advice." Glenn pulled Hope's hood down and pulled her scarf away from her face. "Daddy Merle should deal with you're wardrobe as well."

Hope lent her body back and just let out a large. "Oooooo."

Daryl shook his head. "Hope won't need relationship advice cause she ain't messin with boys." Daryl watched Hope pull her body upright again, she pulled her body up towards Glenn's face and placed her mouth on his cheek and slobbered all over him.

Glenn laughed as Hope then rammed her hand in his mouth and tried to catch Glenn's tongue. Glenn spat Hope's hand out of his mouth. "Well if she carries on kissing boys on the cheek and keeps trying to grab their tongues then both you and Merle are going to have big problems."

Daryl grunted and pulled Hope swiftly from Glenn's arms. "She ain't kissin' ya she was tryin to bite ya I bet." Glenn wiped the dribble from his cheek and laughed again. "Hey you betta stop laughin you know what they say, guns don't kill people daddies with beautiful daughters do." Daryl smirked. "Ain't Hershel got a shotgun?" Glenn went pale and it was Daryl's turn to laugh. "C'mon bug lets go for a walk we can ride a horse another time."

Daryl pulled Hope's hood back up and walked out of the stable. Hope placed her chin on Daryl's shoulder and babbled at Glenn as they left.

Daryl walked across a large empty field. He placed his crossbow on the floor and slowly sat on the cold ground. He sat Hope opposite him she waved her hands and smiled.

"Listen bug you know Merle and I love you, I love you more." Daryl watched as Hope grabbed a handful of grass, she pulled it up. "But then I'm sure Merle tells you he loves you more." Hope offered the grass to Daryl. "No matter what you'll be looked after." Daryl took the grass and kissed Hope's hand. "And stay the hell away from boys they stink, fight and have diseases." Daryl smirked. "That's somethin Merle can tell you about."

Hope yawned and crawled over to Daryl she grabbed his pants and started to pull herself into his lap. Daryl let Hope settle herself on his lap and snuggle into his body. Once Hope stopped moving Daryl wrapped his arms around Hope and let her sleep.


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Dino-SOAR, Annelisa, piratejessieswaby, Brazen Hussy, Lilone1776, FanFicGirl10, Emberka-2012 and Haley.**

* * *

**Chapter 16.**

The whole group were sat around the camp having dinner Rick had been gone all day trying to convince Hershel to clear his barn. Hope sat on Merle's lap while Daryl tried to feed her but the little girl seemed more interested in Carl.

Carl was sitting on the floor close to Merle's chair. Carl didn't want to sit so close to the older Dixon Merle scared Carl but Sophia wanted to sit next to Merle and it was the closest spot to the fire pit making it the warmest spot in camp.

"Hey Squirt you stop lookin at the kid you hear." Merle tried to catch Hope's attention. Hope placed her hand in her bowl of food and handed it to Carl. Carl scrunched up his face and shook his head making Hope wail. Hope's cries had upset both Dixon boys they glared at the poor boy. "You better take the damn food boy." Merle growled.

Carl looked like he might shit himself he moved forward and took the food out of Hope's hand, the small girl smiled and babbled at Carl.

"Er thanks." Carl wasn't sure how to respond to the slimy food sitting in his hand.

"Eat it then." Merle barked.

Daryl smirked as Carl jumped and placed the food in his mouth he swallowed and Hope clapped her hands together and laughed.

Carl's smiled and tilted his head. "It's not bad." Carl looked at Hope the small girl reached out towards him.

Daryl stood quickly and picked up Hope he didn't like his girl paying so much attention to men. "C'mon Bug daddy needs to stretch his legs." Daryl looked at Merle. "You comin'?"

Merle stood up and the brother's started to walk. Merle looked at Daryl. "So you're daddy now are ya?" Merle wasn't sure he liked the idea.

Daryl shrugged. "May as well face it we're both daddy if you didn't want me to be her daddy you should have stayed in Woodbury."

Merle just nodded. "Well you grew some balls when I was gone didn't ya. You and officer friendly make a good team." Merle grumbled he didn't like the fact that Daryl had become so close to Rick.

Daryl looked at Merle. "What about you and Shane."

Merle stopped walking and looked at Daryl. "Hey at least I know to watch my back with him. He won't pretend to be all nice and then cuff me to a fuckin roof." Merle played with a curl in Hope's hair. "Ain't no one I trust but you when it comes to Hope."

Both men turned as the sound of footsteps could be heard. Rick was approaching the brothers and from the look on his face his talk with Hershel hadn't gone well.

Hope started squirming in Daryl's arms the girl bounced and squealed pointing at Rick. "Stop throwin yourself at men squirt." Merle scolded Hope softly. Hope didn't listen she carried on squealing at Rick.

"Didn't go well?" Daryl asked as Hope bounced in his arms.

Rick smiled and rubbed Hope's cheek the small girl gave Rick a large grin and squealed. "Dada!"

Merle took Hope off Daryl. "Hell no you've already got two daddies that's enough." Hope gave Merle a cheeky grin accompanied by a giggle.

Rick looked back in the direction of the farmhouse. "Hershel's not budging he thinks they're sick and now he wants us to leave."

Merle looked down at Hope he started thinking about how dangerous the road would be for his girl especially with Hope squealing and yelling all the time.

"C'mon brother." Merle walked passed Daryl and Rick

Daryl followed Merle. "Where we goin?" He asked confused.

Merle didn't say anything he walked up the porch steps of the farm house and knocked at the door. Patricia answered.

"We need to see Hershel." Merle winked at the woman. Patricia scowled and let the men in.

The Greene's were gathered around the table eating dinner Hershel looked up at the men. "You're interrupting out dinner." Hershel's eyes softened slightly at the sight of Hope.

Beth stood up and cautiously moved towards Merle. "May I hold her?" She asked softly. Beth didn't look Merle in the eye the huge man scared her.

"Sure thing darlin'." Merle handed Hope to Beth. "Just wanna talk old man nothin more." Beth sat down at the table next to Hershel.

Daryl watched his brother he knew Merle could turn on the charm when it came to women. The trail of women that used to appear from his brother's bedroom proved that but Daryl couldn't see how Merle was going to change Hershel's mind.

Hershel looked the brothers up and down. "I've said all I wanted too." Hershel watched as Hope started to pull on Beth's hair, Hershel smiled.

"What if we meet in the middle?" Daryl asked. "We're good workers we can..."

"I can cope with my farm." Hershel snapped. "There's nothing you can give me."

"What about security." Merle questioned Hershel looked up at him. "If a group like Woodbury blows through here they ain't just gonna kill you they'll use your baby girls in all sorts of ways."

Hershel looked like he was about to blow a fuse. "Is that what you did?"

Merle shook his head. "I ain't ever touched a woman who didn't want it but it's true enough other men ain't like that." Merle could see Hershel's mind whirring. "I can handle biters well to, I had to in Woodbury."

Hershel looked up at Merle. "Why?" Hope's hands were now in Beth's food and the small girl launched some potato at Maggie.

"Hey." Maggie chuckled. Daryl smiled as Maggie wiped her shirt clean.

Merle ignored the food fight that was about to erupt. "We had a man like you; a scientist thought they were sick he used to do experiments on 'em." For the first time Hershel looked like he was listening. "But even the Governor wasn't crazy enough to keep 'em in the main part of Woodbury."

"So what are you suggesting?" Hershel asked.

Daryl took a seat next to Beth. "Like this bug." Daryl whispered he took a pea off Beth's plate and flicked it at Maggie catching her straight between the eyes. Hope and Beth laughed, Maggie looked like she was about to beat Daryl to a pulp.

"You're in trouble now Dixon." Maggie hurled a carrot at Daryl he used his hand to bat it away sending it flying back in Maggie's direction.

"We move 'em off the farm; secure an old house close by keep em there. Then we build walls around the farm stopping people and herds gettin to us." Merle suggested.

Hershel stood up and took his plate to the sink. "And what if I say no? What if I want your group to leave?"

Merle gave a small annoyed snort he didn't realise how stubborn this man was going to be. "Then you're sentencin my baby to death how would you feel if it was your girls?"

Both Beth and Maggie stopped the food fight. "Daddy no!" Beth pleaded.

"She's just a baby." Maggie stood up from her seat.

Patricia looked at Hershel with her large sad eyes. "Otis gave his life for these people it would be an insult to his memory to turn them away."

Hershel looked at Merle then to Daryl finally he looked at the small girl covered head to toe in food. "Fine." Hershel sighed. "But your group is in charge of moving the sick and building any walls if the works not done you all leave and any trouble within your group is to be dealt with." Hershel held out his hand Merle shook it.

Relief swept over Daryl once again Merle got what Merle wanted. Merle walked over to Daryl and clipped him around the side of the head. "Let's go."

Daryl picked up Hope and the boys made their way back to camp.

"So why was I even there?" Daryl asked.

"You're gonna tell Rick that you worked it out with Hershel." Merle replied.

Daryl was now completely confused Merle had always loved attention and praise. "But why?"

Merle stopped walking and faced Daryl. "I swear to god if you weren't holdin Hope I'd knock ya dumb ass to the floor. Rick and the group trust you they'll work for you they ain't gonna listen to me."

Daryl nodded. "So we're stayin?"

Merle sighed he looked at Hope who had now fallen asleep in Daryl's arms. "Yeah we're stayin." Daryl smiled the men made their way back towards the glowing fire pit that sat in the middle of the campsite.


	17. Chapter 17

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to piratejessieswaby, Annelisa, Lilone1776, FanFicGirl10, Dino-SOAR, Brazen-Hussy, Emberka-2012 and deelove1**

* * *

**Chapter 17.**

The weeks passed by peacefully on the farm. The walkers from the barn had been moved to an old abandoned farm house that Hershel had approved of and the fence was going up fast. Hershel had given the group any old wood and materials they needed, and between them they decided the large wall should run around the stables, barn and farmhouse. This gave the group plenty of security and land pleasing both Hershel's family and Rick's group.

Carol sat in an old camping chair sewing up a hole in one of Carl's shirts. Hope sat in a playpen next to Carol, the small girl would babble at anyone who passed them. Hope Dixon was an attention seeker and the whole group knew it. The small girl would learn something new or do something adorable every time she felt she was being ignored.

Carol placed her sewing on her lap and looked over at Hope. "I'm listening to you Hope." Hope carried on babbling at Carol. "You're a very lucky little girl you know having two daddies who love you." Hope started laughing to herself.

T-Dogg walked passed Carol and Hope with a tool box in his hand; he gave the two girls a polite nod. Carol watched T-Dogg as he made his way up to the other men at work. Carol's blue eyes lingered on the Dixon brothers. Daryl was busy digging foundations for the wooden post to be placed in and Merle was sawing a large plank of wood using his stump to steady the wood.

Carol's mind started to drift back to one of the first nights in camp.

_The Dixon boys had placed their tent away from the rest of the group, they made it clear from the start they'd only be sociable when they wanted. _

_It was a night like any other Shane sat on top of the RV on watch; the other campers had taken to their beds, all except the Dixon's and Carol. _

_Sophia had woken Carol in the middle of the night needing the toilet so Carol had taken her to the RV. Carol now stood near a low burning fire pit trying to keep warm. She watched as the Dixon boys stood whispering about something. Daryl must have said something that Merle didn't like because the older brother gave Daryl a firm shove sending Daryl tumbling to the ground. Merle strode off and sat at the fire pit a few feet from where she stood. Merle didn't even acknowledge the mousey woman's presence._

_Carol's nose twitched as the smell of cigarette smoke and stale liquor hit her, she knew it was Ed._

_"There you are woman." Ed grabbed Carol's wrist. "I've got a job for you." Ed placed Carol's hand on his crotch. _

_Carol pulled her hand away. "Not here." Carol pleaded. She was tired and just wanted her bed._

_"You're my woman." Ed snapped. Ed's tone caught Merle's attention his grey eyes stared at the brute of a man but he stayed silent._

_"Ed please you'll wake people." Carol begged she tried to twist her wrist free from Ed's grasp._

_Ed squeezed Carol's wrist. "Like I give a fuck." He spat violently. Sophia came out of the RV, the small girl spoke softly to Shane before walking towards her mother. A sick grin spread across Ed's frog like face. "That's fine you stay out here. Me and Sophia will be good by ourselves."_

_Carol felt sick. "Ed you wouldn't."_

_Ed shrugged. "She's old enough to take over your duties now."_

_Merle stood up so fast it took the couple by surprise, he strode towards Ed. _

_"Problem Dixon." Ed snorted._

_Merle grabbed Ed's shirt and pulled him close to his face. It was the first time Carol had seen Merle bother with anyone else's business. As a rule the Dixon's kept themselves to themselves, unless Merle was drunk or high then you couldn't shut the older Dixon up._

_"Yeah you're my problem prick." Merle's raised voice had caught Shane and Daryl's attention. "You don't think I hear ya at night beatin your woman."_

_Ed wiggled like a worm on a hook. "Ain't none of your business." Ed whimpered. _

_Merle shook Ed. "Making it my business, you touch your girl or woman again and I'm gonna cut of your..."_

_Shane stormed towards the men. "Dixon we don't need you fighting, not tonight." Shane had started to become annoyed by Merle's volatile nature. Everyday Merle would argue or fight with someone in the camp and Shane had just about had enough._

_Merle threw Ed to the floor. "Got somethin to say?" Merle walked towards Shane, Carol saw a deep rage burning through the redneck._

_Daryl rushed over and placed himself between Shane and Merle. "Not now Merle." Daryl looked at his brother. "Think about it." Merle's eyes met Daryl's._

_Merle looked around at Sophia who was now hiding behind her mom. Merle gave a snort and walked over to his bike. Carol watched as Merle pulled out a large bag filled with his drugs and disappeared into his tent._

Carol had just thought Merle was a brute looking for a fight but now she knew better, he was protecting Sophia because he couldn't protect Hope.

"Mom." Sophia pulled Carol from her thoughts. Carol looked at her daughter she carried her doll with her. "Can we go give Merle some lunch?"

Carol smiled and stood up. "Of course we'll take them all a picnic." Carol picked up Hope and made her way to the farm house.

* * *

Rick, Merle, Daryl and T-Dogg were working on what was going to be the gate of the farm when Carol and Sophia walked towards them. Carol had Hope in her arms and Sophia carried a large picnic hamper.

Hope reached out to all the men as Carol got closer to the group. "We've brought lunch." Carol smiled.

Sophia placed the hamper on the ground and skipped over to Merle. "Merle." She gave a soft tug on his grubby wifebeater. "When are you going to teach me to shoot?"

Merle looked down at Sophia's large puppy dog eyes and he knew he was done for. "You asked your Ma?" Sophia nodded wildly. Merle gave a sigh. "Fine I'll take you out tomorrow but you listen to me and no messin about."

Sophia threw her arms around the trunk of Merle's body. "Thank you." She squealed. Merle ruffled Sophia's blonde hair.

Hope struggled in Carol's arms as she tried to reach for Merle. "Mine!" Hope screamed. Daryl and Merle looked at their girl, a smile spread across both their faces.

Carol gave a soft chuckle. "Seems Hope is jealous."

"Mine." Hope looked down at Sophia and pointed at Merle. "Mine."

Merle let out a husky laugh he took Hope from Carol's arms. "I ain't nobody's squirt." Hope snuggled her body into Merle's she never once took her eyes off Sophia.

T-Dogg stopped working on fitting the hinges to the large gate. "You both know when you get girlfriends Hope isn't going to like it."

Daryl shrugged. "Hope comes first." Daryl turned to Carol. "You gonna join us for lunch?"

Sophia pulled out a large blanket. "Yes." She answered for her mother as she spread the picnic blanket on the grass. Sophia started placing the food and cups on the picnic blanket.

Merle placed Hope on the blanket and then sat himself down. Daryl sat opposite Merle since Sophia and Carol had sat either side of his brother. Hope sat in the middle of the blanket looking around at the group of people. Daryl picked up one of the sandwiches Carol had made and took a bite.

Hope's eyes followed the food as it entered Daryl's mouth; she crawled towards Daryl knocking over cups of water as she went. "Mine." Hope pointed at the sandwich.

Daryl pulled a small piece off his sandwich, he bent forward placing his face close to Hope's. "There's supposed to be a please bug, manners cost nothin."

Hope pushed her face closer to Daryl's and placed a slobbery kiss on his chin. "Mine." She whined rocking her body back and forth.

Daryl caved in; he popped the small chunk off sandwich in Hope's mouth. Hope clapped her hands and smiled at T-Dogg who had just cleared up the spilled water. T-Dogg refilled his cup and Hope was off again, this time T-Dogg was her target.

Hope crawled at high speed. Once Hope reached T-Dogg she made a grab for the cup he had in his hand.

T-Dogg placed the cup to Hope's mouth. "Thirsty work is it keeping you boys in line?" Hope made greedy slurping noises as she drank.

It didn't take long for the men to finish the picnic. Merle stood up and scooped up Hope. "Right squirt daddy gotta work." Hope laughed. "What in hell you laughin about now girl?"

"Dada." Hope pointed at Daryl.

Merle chuckled. "Yeah guess Daryl is a funny lookin fuck."

Carol stood up and brushed herself down. "I'm surprised she hasn't picked up your potty mouth."

Merle rubbed his face against Hope's. "You gonna learn some swears huh?"

Daryl chuckled and took Hope from Merle. "If she only picks up our cussin' that fine by me." Daryl rubbed Hope's nose. "You're a Dixon ain't ya sweetheart and girl or not it means your gonna be a tough cookie."

Daryl handed Hope back to Carol and played with Hope's hair. "Come on Sophia lets leave the men to their work." Sophia picked up the picnic hamper and followed Carol back to the house.

* * *

Hershel had invited the group into the farm house for dinner. It had been another meal where Hope ended up wearing more food than she ate.

Merle was now sitting on the porch smoking. Cigarettes were scarce now but Merle had managed to find a few packs on the last supply run, along with a large bottle of Jack Daniels that he'd hidden in the RV.

Rick walked out of the house and sat next to Merle. Rick played with his fingers and looked over at Merle who was still silently smoking.

"Daryl told me it was your idea." Rick watched Merle as he took another drag of his cigarette and exhaled the smoke into the air. "The fence and moving the walkers."

"My baby brothers got a big mouth. Maybe I should remind him to keep it shut when I tell him." Merle didn't like the fact that Daryl was running to Rick.

Rick kept his eyes on Merle. "He didn't want to take the praise for your ideas. Why didn't you come to me?"

Merle snapped his head towards Rick. "Listen I don't need to tell you shit. Anythin I do is for my girl and my brother in that exact order. I don't have to come to you I ain't your dog, I ain't my brother."

Rick held his hands up apologetically. "What I meant was why did you have Daryl tell the group?"

Merle kept his stony stare on Rick. "Better comin from Daryl, you trust ya blue eyed boy."

"I would have done it if you told me. I thought we had an understanding I thought..." Rick was cut short.

"You thought wrong, I respect ya but don't mean I trust or like you much." Merle offered Rick the end of his cigarette, when Rick declined Merle stubbed it out.

"Anymore ideas how to make us safer?" Rick asked.

Merle rubbed his chin. "Depends how you feel about more weapons?"

Rick's jaw dropped a little. "What, from where?"

Merle gave a small smile. "Woodbury. Governor may or may not be dead, if he ain't he'll come lookin for us and we're outgunned. I know every weapon that town has and where they're kept."

Rick nodded the idea sounded dangerous but if Merle could get them in and out extra weapons would be handy. "Okay, once the wall is up we'll get a team together."

Merle stood up and looked down at Rick. "For a prick who forced me to cut off my own hand you ain't that bad." With that Merle turned and walked into the house.


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to piratejessieswaby, Annelisa, Dino-SOAR, FanFicGirl10, Emberka-2012 and Brazen Hussy.**

* * *

**Chapter 18.**

The sun had barley started to rise when Merle banged on Sophia and Carol's tent.

"Phia, get your ass up." Merle banged his stump against the fabric again. "C'mon don't make me come in there and drag your sorry ass out."

The tent opened and a sleepy Carol stuck her head out of the tent. "Sophia went to take a shower in the farm house a few minutes ago." Carol gave a large yawn and climbed out of the tent. "She's really excited." Carol smiled.

"It's only shootin practice." Merle crossed his arms and huffed impatiently. "You women always take forever to get ready." Merle gave another huff. "I just throw some clothes on and then go, don't take no fuckin shower." Merle grumbled.

Carol smirked. "That explains the smell."

Merle gave Carol a cheeky half smile. "Hey now woman this is how a mans supposed to smell. Why the fuck she takin a shower anyways? She's just gonna get dirty again."

Carol laughed and shook her head softly. "You've got all this to come with Hope."

Merle snorted. "Not a chance, that girl screams the place down when she sees a bar of soap." Merle chuckled. "Daryl tried to bath her just the other day and he ended up wetter than Hope."

Sophia came jogging towards Merle. Her blonde hair was still wet from her shower.

"Bout time!" Merle called to the young girl.

"Sorry." Sophia bounced on her heels, she grabbed Merle's hand. "I'm ready now."

Carol bent down and kissed Sophia on the top of the head. "You do everything Merle says you hear?" Sophia nodded. "And be on your best behaviour."

Merle gave a light grunt. "Why the hell should she? I ain't gonna be on mine." Merle gave Sophia's hand a light tug. "C'mon Phia let's go."

Merle and Sophia walked towards the locked gate.

Shane sat on watch. "Up early." He called down to Merle.

"Takin that kid on shootin practice." Merle ruffled Sophia's damp hair.

Shane took his baseball cap off and scratched his head. "Look's like you got a nice day for it." Shane remarked. "It's getting warm already."

Merle couldn't be bothered with the idle chit chat; he wanted to get the shooting lesson over and done with. "C'mon girl." Merle led Sophia out of the farm and towards the woods.

* * *

Daryl woke up before Hope, he had started to prepare Hope's breakfast. The job was easier when Hope wasn't around. As soon as the girl saw food she wanted to throw it around the room.

A small weak cry from Hope's crib caught his attention. Daryl walked over to the crib and looked down at Hope. His little girl lay in her crib wheezing heavily, Daryl felt his heart leap into his throat, something was wrong with Hope.

"Hey bug, what's wrong?" Daryl placed his hand softly against Hope's cheek, she felt like she was burning up. Daryl panicked his protective nature took over. He scooped Hope in his arms and ran to the farm house.

Daryl stumbled into the house. "HERSHEL!" Daryl yelled. "HERSHEL." Daryl's yelling had brought the whole of the Greene family into the main hallway. "Hope ain't right."

"Patricia grab my bag, Daryl come through." Hershel moved into the kitchen followed by a panicked Daryl.

"She's all hot and clammy and she keeps wheezin real funny and..."

Hershel took Hope from Daryl's arms and sat her on the table. Hope gave a little whine, her large watery eyes looked up at Hershel and she released a tiny wheeze.

"Dada." Hope croaked and coughed.

Patricia returned with Hershel's bag. Daryl paced the room as Hershel started to check Hope over. Hershel checked Hope's chest and temperature. The small girl kept grizzling and reaching out for Daryl.

Daryl felt like his heart was shattering in to tiny pieces as his little girl sniffled and whined. He felt helpless. "Is she okay?" Daryl asked biting his nails.

Hershel stood up and placed his stethoscope on the table. "It's just a very bad cold. She'll be fine, just give her plenty of fluids and plenty of rest."

Daryl didn't seem too happy with Hershel's response. He wanted his baby girl to be instantly better he didn't like her being ill.

"That's it?" Daryl walked over to Hope and played with her curly hair. "Ain't there anythin you can give her?"

Hershel shook his head. "She's just going to have to ride it out I'm afraid."

Hope gave a pathetic croaky wail. "Dada."

Daryl picked up his watery eyed, snotty baby girl and placed his forehead against hers. "I'm sorry darlin' I wish I could be sick for you." Hope let out a giant sneeze covering Daryl's face in snot and spit. "Thanks bug." Daryl muttered sarcastically.

Daryl moved Hope into one arm and pulled his red handkerchief from his back pocket with his free hand. Daryl wiped his face and Hope pulled the handkerchief from his hands.

"Mine?" Hope's voice was no more than a whisper now.

Daryl rubbed his finger across Hope's cheek. "Yeah bug it's yours. Now let's get you down for a nap." Daryl kissed Hope's hot forehead willing the sickness to leave her body. Daryl wanted to fight the illness for his little girl.

* * *

Merle led Sophia deep into the woods, the further they trekked the more uneasy Sophia became. A snap of a branch made Sophia jump.

Merle placed his hand on the small girls shoulder. "Relax ain't nothin gonna hurt ya when I'm here."

Sophia took a deep breath and nodded. "Why are we out here?" She whispered, another branch snapped and the small girl grabbed Merle's hand. Sophia hated the woods, she always had. Her dad would take her on camping trips before the outbreak and Sophia would hate it. Her dad would yell at her for the slightest thing and then he'd get drunk and beat her.

Merle looked down at the frightened child. "You wanna learn to shoot don't ya?"

Sophia nodded slowly. "But Carl said that Rick and Shane practiced using old bottles as targets."

"Did they now?" Merle's eyes scanned the surrounding area. "Well let me tell you somethin, any pussy can shoot a bottle. Bottles don't move and a bottle ain't gonna kill ya." A walker stumbled from behind a tree. Merle pulled his gun out and handed it to Sophia. "Now I'll help you take this ugly son of a bitch down, but the next one you do yourself."

Sophia stretched out her hand towards Merle's gun, her body shook from nerves. The walker moved closer to the couple. "C'mon now girl I ain't got all day." Merle barked sharply.

Sophia took the gun from Merle, she wondered if he would be this harsh with Hope when it was her turn to learn to shoot.

Sophia held the gun and squeezed the trigger; the bullet hit the walker in the shoulder. The creature stumbled back and then started to walk forward again.

"I missed." Sophia sounded disappointed.

Merle squatted down next to Sophia. "Nah you hit it, you just need to adjust your aim." Merle moved Sophia's hand slightly. The walker was getting even closer. "Now try again and take ya time, I'm here and I ain't about to let you get bit."

Sophia took a deep breath and nodded, the walker swayed a little to the left so she moved the gun slightly. She stuck her tongue out of the side of her mouth and pulled the trigger. The bullet flew through the air and hit the walker through its left eye.

"Atta girl." Merle crowed, patting Sophia on the back so hard she nearly fell to the ground. "Next one I ain't helpin you at all." Sophia went to hand the gun back to Merle. "You keep that one kiddo; you seem to be good with it."

Merle walked off and Sophia trotted behind him. "Merle?" Sophia stepped over a large tree root. "Do you miss your dad?"

Merle turned around and stopped so abruptly that Sophia slammed into his stationary body. "What?" Merle didn't know why the hell the kid would bring up his old man, after all this was a shooting lesson not a therapy session.

Sophia tucked her hair behind her ear and bit her lip nervously. "Well do you miss him?"

Merle ground his teeth slightly trying to decide how to answer the question. "No." He replied bluntly. "My old man wasn't a good man."

Sophia kept her eyes firmly on the ground; she kicked up some loose dirt. "Well my dad was mean but I miss having a dad." Sophia looked up at Merle. "I always wanted a daddy like Rick; he's good with Carl...like you are with Hope."

Merle stepped back he was starting to wish he had never started this damn trip, he felt like he was being ambushed by a child. "Well y'know Phia, you got a whole group of men to help be your daddy."

Sophia gave a small pout and nodded. Merle started walking again. "Merle?" Merle rolled his eyes, he was stating to dread Sophia saying his name in that questioning tone.

"Yep." Merle replied through gritted teeth, he was starting to wonder if he could get away with cutting the lesson short.

"What's French kissing and why is there no American kissing?"

Merle was so thrown by the question that he caught his foot in a root and fell to the ground. A walker shuffled from behind the tree and looked down at Merle. _"Fuck please kill me."_ Merle silently prayed. He was starting to think he'd rather be eaten by the rotting geek than answer anymore of Sophia's questions.

Sophia raised her gun and killed the walker. "I got it!" She squealed excitedly. "I got it all by myself, did you see?"

Merle stood up and brushed himself down. "Yeah, yeah, that's great, we better turn back."

Sophia looked confused. "Is that my lesson?"

Merle turned Sophia around and gently nudged her forward. "Yeah, yeah you're a regular pro at shootin', home time."

Sophia started walking back through the woods. "Merle?" Sophia questioned.

_"Maybe I could accidentally impale myself on my knife."_ Merle thought to himself.

"Do you French kiss anyone in camp?"

Merle stopped and shook his head; never again would he take Sophia anywhere. A small smirk spread across Merle's face. "Hey Phia, you want Daryl to take ya huntin'?" Merle's grin broadened at the idea of his brother squirming under Sophia's interrogation.

Sophia smiled. "I'd love too. Wow! I can't wait. Carl's going to be so jealous."

Merle chuckled. "Well Grimes junior can go too." As far as Merle was concerned if he had to play babysitter to the camp kids then so should Daryl.


	19. Chapter 19

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to piratejessieswaby, Dino-SOAR, deelove1, Annelisa, Lilone1776, Brazen Hussy, FanFicGirl10, Emberka-2012 and bashfyl.**

* * *

**Chapter 19.**

The farm was finally secure. A large sturdy fence surrounded the farm, protecting the group from walkers and looters. The group even seemed to be pulling together for once and everything was running smoothly.

Merle and Daryl had offered to go on a supply run. At first Merle hadn't wanted to leave Hope with the group but there were something's he needed to get. Daryl drove down the deserted road. He glanced over at Merle who seemed lost in his own thoughts.

"So why did you wanna come?" Daryl was surprised that Merle had left Hope with the group; Merle still didn't trust the group completely.

Merle smiled and turned his head in Daryl's direction. "You've forgotten?" Daryl scowled causing Merle to laugh. "Yeah you've forgotten."

"Forgotten what?" Daryl muttered.

Merle smirked. "It's Squirt's birthday soon." Daryl slammed his foot on the break making Merle fly forward. Merle smacked his head on the dashboard. "What the fuck!" Merle sat up and smacked Daryl around the back of his head.

"Fuck off." Daryl returned the slap.

Merle twisted his whole body. "Well it's like that is it?" Merle used his metal stump to hit Daryl on the top of his head.

Daryl grabbed his head with both hands. "Ow...fuck Merle that hurt."

Merle crossed his arms. "Pussy." Merle muttered.

"Ain't a pussy you hit me with a damn metal club." Daryl removed his hand and looked at his palm making sure there wasn't any blood.

Merle snorted. "You slammed my face into the dashboard and it ain't my fault I only got one hand."

"Shoulda worn a seatbelt." Daryl muttered in reply. "Anyway, how do you know what month it is?"

"Greene's got a calendar, its September first today and Squirt was born on the sixth." Merle smiled happily. "I'm gonna find her some toys and stuff."

Daryl started to drive again. "So you were just gonna give Bug loads of gifts and you weren't gonna tell me?"

Merle shrugged. "Well maybe you should remember dates."

Daryl shook his head. "It's the end of the world, what date we're on is one of the last things on my mind." Daryl took another swift glance at Merle. "And anyway since when have you been good with birthdays, you don't know mine?"

Merle was momentarily speechless. "You really think I don't know my own baby brothers birthday?" Merle sounded slightly hurt. He remembered the day Daryl came into the world perfectly. "January sixth. Your sorry ass was early. Ma went into labour in the middle of the supermarket and we got our shoppin free." Merle smirked and looked over at Daryl. "You had an odd shaped head when you was born, like a peanut."

Daryl couldn't help but smile. Merle wasn't always there for him but he was still his brother, and it was times like these Daryl was proud to call him brother. "Shut up." Daryl said softly as he pulled into the deserted town.

Both brothers stepped out of the car Merle attached his knife on to his wrist guard.

Daryl pulled his crossbow from the back of the car and nodded towards the pharmacy. "We'll start there and move on."

Merle patted Daryl on the back. "You start where you like baby brother; I'm gonna loot the toy store."

"No way, I wanna get Bug a gift as much as you but we need to get supplies first." Merle wasn't listening to his brother. He continued walking towards the toy store. Daryl wasn't going to let Merle out do him. "Wait up I'm comin." Daryl started to jog after Merle.

The men entered the store, it wasn't very big but on the plus side it seemed to have escaped the ransacking that the other stores had endured.

Merle looked around the dusty store. "Guess no one wants toys at the end of the world."

Daryl had already made his way down an aisle filled with bikes and bike accessories. He stopped in front of a bright pink tricycle with a white plastic basket on the front. As a child Daryl had never been lucky enough to own a bike and he wanted Hope to have everything he never had.

"I'm gonna get her this." Daryl picked the trike up with one hand.

Merle looked up from filling his bag. "She can't even walk by herself how the hell is she gonna ride a damn bike?"

"That's cause you keep carryin her everywhere. She ain't gonna want to walk if she has you takin her where she wants." Daryl picked up a pink flowery helmet and some knee pads.

"I think your talkin shit brother, you're the one who won't put her down and put that shit back. The girl don't need no helmet." Merle pulled his bag over his shoulder and smiled. "No this is what she needs." Merle picked up a small pure white wooden rocking horse, it mane had adorable little bows woven into it.

Once the Dixon boys had emptied the store and nearly filled their car to the brim, they did a quick supply run. They moved through each store with speed picking the shelves clean.

"Let's go brother." Merle started walking towards the waiting car when he spotted a walker coming towards them. Merle casually walked towards the walker and ran his knife deep into its skull. "Daryl c'mon we're startin to get company."

Daryl appeared from one of the stores with a backpack over his shoulder. He looked at the car that was over flowing with toys and treats for the soon to be birthday girl.

"Do you think we went overboard?" Daryl asked whilst trying to shove his backpack into the car.

Merle got into the passengers side. "No, it's our girls first birthday. Hell I think it should last from September till the day she was left on our doorstep."

Daryl entered the car and started the ignition. "You can't give someone a month long birthday." Daryl replied sourly. It wasn't that Daryl didn't want to spoil Hope; he was just annoyed he hadn't suggested it first.

* * *

Hope sat on a large rug in Hershel's farm house. Beth had offered to look after the small girl whilst the Dixons went on the supply run. Beth was starting to wish she hadn't offered Hope was more than a handful. If the girl wasn't trying to crawl out of the dog door she was trying to scale the stairs.

Beth had decided that she would try and give Hope an early lunch and an early nap. The plan didn't work, as soon as Hope was placed in the high hair she wailed and screamed until Beth placed her back on the floor.

Beth sighed as she placed the dirty bowls in the sink. "Hope you're such a monster."

"Dada." Hope chimed in from the floor.

Beth turned her back on Hope and started cleaning the dishes. "No your daddies aren't here they've gone out for the day. I wonder if they were like you when they were babies."

"Who you talking to?" Maggie asked as she entered the kitchen.

Beth turned around and noticed an empty spot where Hope had been sitting.

"Hope." Beth looked at Maggie. "Where did she go?" Beth started to panic, if the Dixon boys found out she'd lost their princess they'd kill her.

"Don't worry we'll find her, she's just a baby how far could she get." Maggie poked her head into the living room; there was no sign of Hope. "Okay, you look in the house I'll look outside."

Beth hugged Maggie. "Thank you." She squeaked as she ran into the living room.

* * *

Hope had pulled her body through the dog door and on to the porch. "Dada." She yelled.

When there was no answer Hope crawled towards the porch steps, she turned her body around to start descending the steps.

Rick and Carl had been making their way towards the farm house; they were just in time to stop Hope from escaping any further.

"What's this, a jail break?" Rick picked up Hope and rubbed his nose against hers. "I think you're supposed to be in the house."

Hope wiggled and squealed in Rick's arms. "Ick no dada." Hope slapped her hands roughly against Rick's face.

Carl laughed. "Hey dad she called you Ick." Carl's laughter was cut short when Hope stretched her arms out and snatched Carl's hat clean off his head.

"Mine." Hope placed the brim of the hat in her mouth and started to chew on it.

"Hey." Carl whined, he folded his arms and pouted. "You do know you're just eating a dirty hat."

Hope pulled the hat out of her mouth a long length off drool dangled from Hope's mouth to Carl's hat. "Baba." Hope yelled at the young boy.

Carl uncrossed his arms and placed them on his hips. "No, you're the baby not me." Hope just blew a loud raspberry at Carl covering him in spit. "That's gross." Carl wiped his face and Hope threw her head back and laughed. "It's no funny." Carl moaned.

Maggie walk out of the front door and breathed a sigh of relief. "Beth, she's here."

Beth came running out. She looked like she was on the verge of tears. "Oh my god Hope." Hope dropped Carl's hat to the floor and laughed. "That was not funny young lady, you gave me a fright."

Glenn came jogging up towards Rick. Maggie wouldn't look at the Korean man. "Daryl and Merle are back."

Hope struggled in Rick's arms. "Dada!" She screamed happily.

Rick gave a small chuckle. "Okay, okay, let's go see the gruesome twosome." Rick started to walk towards the main gate as the car drove in.

The closer Rick got to the car the more Hope tried to escape his grip. As Merle and Daryl exited the car Rick placed Hope on the ground.

"Dada." Hope clapped her hands.

Rick walked over to the men. "How did it go, was there much left?" Rick had become increasingly worried about the lack of medical supplies and weapons.

Daryl rubbed the back of his neck. "Not a lot left, we're gonna have to start going further afield."

Merle leant against the car. "Told y'all we should check out Woodbury, one good planned out raid and we'll be set for a long time."

"Ain't worth it." Daryl replied. "What if they come lookin for us after we raid em?"

Merle stood up straight and slapped Daryl around the back of the head. "We won't be seen, and besides if the Governor is dead I doubt there will be anyone able to stop us." Merle wanted more than Woodbury's supplies. He wanted to find out if the Governor was still alive and if the man was Merle wanted to kill him, slowly and painfully.

Daryl gave Merle a shove. "It ain't worth it. You just want revenge."

Merle grabbed Daryl by the shirt with his good hand. "Don't you tell me what I want." Merle snarled.

Rick tried to intervene. "I think we should calm down."

Merle let go of Daryl. "Do you now?" He turned on Rick.

"Dada." Hope squealed, the girl pulled herself up her feet.

Daryl gave Merle a thump on the arm. "Merle, Hope."

Merle looked down at the little girl who was now standing completely unaided, her little legs wobbled.

Merle patted Daryl lightly on the chest. "She's gonna do it."

Both Merle and Daryl squatted down on the on the ground.

Daryl held out his arms. "C'mon bug, come to daddy."

Merle shuffled forward. "Squirt come here."

Hope looked at both men and took a few tiny steps towards them. She gave a small giggle and took a few more tiny steps. Hope wobbled and Daryl's heart jumped into his throat as he thought she was going to fall face first into the dirt. Hope regained her balance and took a few more steps.

"Atta girl." Merle whooped.

Hope made it the short distance to her men and then fell forwards. Daryl caught her in his hands and stood up holding Hope tight in his arms.

Merle stood up and rubbed Hope's cheek. "Well look at you squirt." Hope grabbed Merle's large finger in her tiny hand and smiled. "You're clever ain't ya?" Hope kept hold of Merle's finger and sneezed. "Still a bit snotty baby?" Merle pulled his finger from Hope's hand and wiped her nose with his sleeve.

"C'mon." Daryl kissed the top of Hope's head. "We need to find a place to stash her presents."

* * *

Daryl was sitting on a large log in front of a fire pit. He was so busy making new arrows that he didn't hear Glenn approach.

Glenn sat down next to Daryl and removed his baseball cap. "Daryl can I talk to you?"

Daryl looked at Glenn from the corner of his eye. "Bout what?"

Glenn bit his lip and played with his cap. "Kids."

Daryl placed down his half made arrow and looked at Glenn. "Okay." Daryl looked at Glenn, the young man was always twitchy and nervous looking, but this time he looked like he was about to pass out.

Glenn took a deep breath and looked at the flames dancing in the fire pit. "How do you know if you're going to be a good parent?" Glenn looked back to Daryl. "You're good at it."

Daryl shrugged. He tried to hide the pride he felt at being called a good father. "Didn't know I would be, Why you askin?"

Glenn shook his head. "No reason."

Daryl rubbed his beard. "Look everythin to do with kids is trial and error. Merle and I had no idea what the hell we were doin, we just learnt as we went along. As long as you love the kid you can't go far wrong."

Glenn smiled. "Thanks." He placed his cap back on and stood up. "Dinner is going to be ready soon."

Daryl picked up his arrow. "I'm going huntin tomorrow; see if there's anymore game around." Glenn placed his hands in his pockets and nodded, he started to walk back to the farm house.

Just as Daryl thought he was going to be left in peace Merle came strutting towards Daryl with Hope in his arms. Merle sat next to Daryl with Hope on his lap. Hope made a grab for the arrow in Daryl's hand.

"You hear the news yet?" Merle asked Daryl.

Daryl shrugged. "What?"

Merle smirked. "There's gonna be another baby, Lori's knocked up." Merle laughed. "You should have seen Shane's face, fuck this camp is better than TV."

Daryl still continued to work on his arrow. "Ain't our business."

Merle yawned. "Didn't say it was, just gonna be fun to watch." Merle looked over at Daryl. "Tell you what is your business." Daryl didn't answer. Merle stood up with Hope in his arms. "You're takin Phia and Carl huntin tomorrow." Daryl looked up at his brother opened mouthed, before Daryl could say anything Merle walked off laughing.


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to piratejessieswaby, Dino-SOAR, FanFicGirl10, Annelisa, Brazen Hussy, Emberka-2012 and Lilone1776.**

* * *

**Chapter 20.**

Daryl moved silently through the woods, it was a shame the same couldn't be said about his two companions. Sophia and Carl sounded like a herd of elephants stomping through the undergrowth. Every time Daryl got close to some prey one of the teenagers would make a noise and send it scurrying away. Daryl had decided to move ahead of Carl and Sophia, that way he would be the first one to spot any game up ahead before the teenagers got a chance to scare it off.

Carl stopped walking and took a drink of water. When Sophia had told him they were going hunting Carl grew incredibly excited. He had images of killing a wild boar and dragging it back to camp, impressing both Sophia and the rest of the group. However this hunting trip was boring and long, Daryl was grumpy as always and the younger Dixon kept yelling at both Carl and Sophia.

"Are we done yet?" Carl asked hoping the answer would be yes.

Daryl looked over his shoulder at Carl. "We caught anythin yet?"

"No." Carl replied glumly. "Can we at least stop for some food I'm hungry."

Daryl gave a small frustrated huff. At this point he'd catch a cold before anything else. "Fine, we'll stop here." Carl sat on a large rock and sighed with relief.

Sophia removed her backpack and placed it on the ground beside Carl. "I have some sandwiches." Sophia sat down and rummaged through the bag pulling out a small bundle of wrapped food.

Daryl stayed standing keeping his eyes opened for any danger. Sophia handed him half a sandwich. "Thanks." He muttered.

Sophia settled herself next to Carl and handed him a sandwich. Sophia stared up at Daryl; she wondered how two brothers could be so different. Daryl was always quiet and stood in the background silently watching everything, whilst Merle was always talking and always ready to tackle anything that got in his way.

Daryl glanced at Sophia from the corner of his eye. "What's wrong?"

Sophia chewed on her sandwich and swallowed. "How are you both you and Merle Hope's daddy?"

Carl squinted up at Daryl. "Yeah, my dad told me all about babies because my mom's pregnant and you can't both be Hope's dad."

Sophia looked over at Carl. She looked upset that Carl was privy to the information of baby making and she had been left out of the loop. "How comes you know about babies? I wasn't told."

Carl looked smug. "Dad told me, he says I'm old enough and mature enough to know now."

Sophia looked up a Daryl. The redneck just stood with his mouth open, he didn't want to get involved in the conversation but it was too late. "Daryl that's not fair. I'm more mature than Carl, tell him to tell me."

Carl shook his head. "Nope, it's gross you wouldn't be able to handle it."

Sophia jumped up onto her feet. "Would too!" Sophia kicked dirt at Carl and turned her attention to a very nervous looking Daryl. "Daryl how do you get a baby and what the hell is French kissing?"

Carl stood up with a smug smile across his face. "I know the answer to both and I'm not telling."

"Daryl!" Sophia whined.

Carl picked up the empty bag and placed it over his shoulder. Daryl wanted to slap the smug look right off the young boys face.

Daryl pinched the bridge of his nose he felt a headache building. "Look this is for your mom to answer."

Sophia pouted. "But it's embarrassing." She whispered. "And Merle told me to ask you about French kissing."

Daryl clenched his jaw, he was going to stomp Merle's ass. "Ask your momma bout babies and all. I ain't gonna get my ass in trouble tellin you bout this shit." Sophia looked like she may cry and Daryl sighed. "Look boys and girls are different, and if you really wanna know how babies are made Merle is the man to talk to, he told me everythin."

Daryl thought back to the day when Merle thought his brother was old enough to learn about the birds and bees. Merle had told Daryl in such graphic detail about women and sex that it had scared him half to death. If Merle told Sophia all he knew the girl wouldn't bother either of them again with her embarrassing questions. Sophia gave a tiny nod.

"So how are both you and Merle Hope's dad?" Carl asked again.

Daryl smirked. "Your old man may have to ya bout the bird and bees but he didn't tell you everythin."

Carl's eyes grew wide with interest. "Like what?"

Daryl shrugged. "I know and I ain't tellin, that'll teach ya for bein so smug." Daryl smiled as Carl pouted. "But if you really wanna know ask Merle. I was shit faced drunk that night and don't remember anythin, Merle remembers it all. Now let's get huntin we ain't got all day." Daryl started to walk off.

* * *

Beth had been watching Hope again whilst her fathers were busy. Beth stood at the kitchen counter preparing Hope's lunch. The small girl was sat in her high chair banging her spoon against the tray.

"Okay Hope it's nearly ready." Beth turned her head to look at Hope, she found herself smiling softly at the young girl, who was now trying to ram the whole length of the spoon in her mouth.

Beth loved looking after Hope she had always wanted children and she was starting to think Hope was as close as she was going to get. There was a lack of signal men at the end of the world and Beth knew it.

Merle's heavy work boots could be heard entering the house, he footed off the large boots as he entered the kitchen sending mud flying over Beth's clean floor.

"Dada." Hope squealed in delight, she waved her spoon at Merle.

Merle moved straight to Hope and started fussing over his little angel.

"I've just cleaned that." Beth moaned softly. "And you can't leave your boots lying around, someone will trip over."

"Oh no Hope I think I've pissed off old father time's princess." Merle didn't look up from Hope; the small girl hit Merle on the nose with her spoon and laughed.

"I'm not a princess." Beth snapped. The sharp response shocked both Beth and Merle.

The farmer's daughter was usually nervous around the older Dixon, but lately she found it hard to control her temper. Beth had recently had a fight with Jimmy and the young man had called time on their short lived relationship. Jimmy had told Beth he was fed up with her constantly chasing him around and clinging to him. The young man had also told the heartbroken girl he'd had enough of Hershel always lecturing him on how to treat his daughter and how he should act like a gentleman.

Merle turned to face Beth. "Well c'mon kid it ain't bad, I call Hope princess."

Beth bit her lip nervously. "It's not what you say it's how you say it. I've spent all day cleaning and you just messed everything up." Beth felt a sea of emotions start to build inside her. "And I'm not a kid I'm eighteen nearly nineteen, I'm a young woman."

Merle rubbed the back of his neck. "Well it ain't like I meant to offend ya I was just messin." Beth placed a bowl of food on Hope's tray. Merle noticed tears starting to form in Beth's large blue eyes. "You're good with Hope." Merle said softly trying his hardest to comfort Beth.

Beth started to feed Hope. "Thank you." Beth sniffled. "When a boy says that he needs space what does he mean?"

Merle pulled out a chair and sat down. He gently took the spoon from Beth and started feeding Hope. "You should talk to your sister bout this."

Beth played with her fingers. "I've tried but she's busy, and you're a man so you know how a man thinks."

"This about that boy you've been chasin?" Merle had watched Beth chase Jimmy around the farm like a puppy. Beth nodded. "Well just forget about him he ain't worth it."

Beth placed her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. "That's terrible advice. If Jimmy doesn't want me who will? It's not like I have a lot of choice anymore."

Merle fed Hope the last of her food and stood up. "Darlin I ain't an advice giver, but if you think that just cause that damn kid don't want ya you're done for, then you need ya head checkin." Beth looked up at Merle with a confused look on her face. "Girl you have the looks of a fuckin angel and you're one of the last pure things in this world." Merle gave Beth a smile. "You'll make some young boy very happy darlin."

Beth blushed. "So you think someone else will want me?"

Merle gave Beth a large flirty grin. "Sweetheart if I was younger I would've popped ya cheery along time ago and you wouldn't be so innocent." Merle gave Beth a flirty wink making the girl turn bright crimson. Merle bent down and kissed Hope's cheek, he then moved his face close to Beth's ear. "Stop playin with boys honey, find yourself a man."

Merle stood up and left the room smiling too himself. If a few flirty words made the young girl feel better then Merle couldn't see the harm in it. After all Beth was good with his girl and she was a sweet girl, she deserved to be happy.

Beth started clearing away Hope's bowl, she found herself thinking about Merle's last words _"Find yourself a real man." _Merle was a man there was no denying that fact, he was a lot older than her but then age didn't count for much nowadays. Merle was also a good provider, both he and Daryl were always providing the group with fresh meat, and as a dad Merle was perfect. Hope was living proof of that.

Patricia entered the room with a freshly gutted and plucked chicken.

"You okay honey?" Patricia asked as she placed the chicken onto a plate.

Beth played with a curl in her long blonde hair. "How do you know when a boy likes you?"

Patricia smiled she automatically assumed Beth was talking about Jimmy. "Well they say nice things and spend time with you, but you know a relationship will only work if you share common interests."

Beth looked at Hope and smiled. "What about age."

Patricia pulled her hair into a low slung ponytail. Jimmy was two years older than Beth; the older woman couldn't see the harm in that. "Age doesn't matter when you're in love. Otis was five years older than me."

Beth nodded. "I'm going to take Hope upstairs and get us both changed for dinner and then I'll come and give you a hand." Beth picked up Hope, the little girl grabbed Beth's hair.

"I have dinner covered; you've been busy all day." Patricia replied.

Beth adjusted Hope in her arms. "No please I want to help, the men need a good meal." Beth wanted Merle to see how well she could look after both him and Hope.

Patricia smiled. "Okay sweetie."

Beth smiled and carried Hope out of the room and up the staircase. Merle and Patricia were right she needed to stop playing with boys and if age didn't matter to her then why should it to anyone else.


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Dino-SOAR, Brazen Hussy, piratejessieswaby, Annelisa,****FanFicGirl10, Dixon-sBikerBabe,****Lilone1776, Emberka-2012, kadieliz, Effigy, BeingLolaStar and the guests who took time to review.**

**I didn't think I'd get much support for a Beth/Merle relationship. Thank you for the guest who voiced their concerns about it taking away from the story. I have made Beth slightly older in this story, but in this sort of world I feel age is no longer a factor. At the moment it is just a crush for Beth because every young woman has had a crush on an older man at sometime in their life. If I can write it so I keep everyone in character then the relationship will go further. I could write you an essay on why Beth and Merle would and could work but I'm sure no one is interested in my ramblings. If you are, feel free to message me for a Meth chat and I'll explain it all. So I'm very sorry if this stops anyone from reading the last thing I want to do is alienate my readers and reviewers, but trust me if I can't make it seem in character and natural it won't happen.**

* * *

**Chapter 21. **

If the group were to believe the Dixon brothers today was the most important day on the calendar. Today was Hope Dixon's first birthday.

The boys had decided that Hope's party would take place inside where it was warmer. The gifts had been placed in the living room and Patricia and Carol were working on a birthday meal for the group.

Carol watched as Daryl placed the small pink tricycle in the middle of the room, she shook her head. "That girl is going to be a troublemaker when she hits her teenage years." Patricia gave a small laugh.

Carol looked over at the woman. "What's so funny?" She asked smiling.

Patricia placed the potato she'd been peeling down. "I'm just thinking about Hope as teenager, all those awkward things the boys will have to tell her."

Carol found herself laughing. "I can't wait to see her bring home a boy."

Patricia smiled and put on a cute voice. "Daddy Merle, daddy Daryl, this is my boyfriend."

Carol pointed the knife at Patricia as if she was holding a gun. "Bang, bang." Carol then did her best Dixon impression. "Yeah well now he's ya dead boyfriend."

Both women broke into a fit of giggles as Daryl entered the room.

Daryl eyed the crazy women up. "What's so funny?" He asked.

Carol tilted her head and shrugged. "Just thinking about the future." Carol smirked. "Imagine if Lori has a boy."

Daryl shrugged. He wasn't interested in Lori's baby. "What of it?"

Carol bit her lip and smirked. "Well it would be a little boyfriend for Hope."

Daryl turned pale and his eyes widened. "She don't need a boyfriend not now not ever." Daryl looked around. "You seen Merle and Hope?"

"Merle said something about a fishing trip ready for dinner tonight and Hope is with Beth." Patricia smiled.

Daryl squinted at both the women; he snorted, shook his head and walked out. He could hear the women's laughter as he left.

* * *

Merle was preparing Dale's canoe and fishing poles outside the RV. Beth sat on the RV step with Hope on her lap, she watched as Merle checked over the boat.

Merle could feel a pair off eyes burning into his back. He looked over his shoulder to see Beth staring at him. As soon as Merle made eye contact with the girl she blushed and looked down at the floor. Merle gave a little smirk.

"You okay there girl?" Merle called over to Beth.

Hope waved her hands in the air. "Yes." She bounced on Beth's lap.

Merle laughed. "Well I wasn't talkin to you squirt but I'm glad to hear it." Hope laughed and clapped her hands.

"Hey Merle." Daryl came walking towards his brother. "You need company fishin?"

Merle rubbed his chin. "Yeah don't see why not. What's up brother?"

Daryl shook his head and picked up the tackle box. "Women are nuts."

Merle smirked. "Took you this long to notice?" Merle nodded behind Daryl. "Here comes another crazy one."

Andrea came jogging up to the boys. "Hey, Dale said you're going fishing." Andrea hadn't been fishing since she lost Amy. "Can I come?"

Merle smirked he raised his eyebrows and blew a flirty kiss in Andrea's direction. "A few minutes with me sugar and you'll cum alright."

Daryl rolled his eyes and Andrea gave a disgusted snort. "What?" Merle chuckled. "I'm only playin."

Beth frowned and stood up. "Maybe Hope and I should go with you. I'm sure Hope would like to see the fish."

"Yesssss." Hope screeched. "Miiiiine." She sang out loud.

Merle and Daryl exchanged glances.

"What do think?" Daryl looked at the three girls.

Merle shrugged and took Hope from Beth. "Might as well, Hope will be safe with us."

Beth smiled. "I'll go let daddy know and see if I can't get us some food." Beth ran towards the house her blonde hair flew behind her as she went.

* * *

Beth had just finished loading a picnic hamper when Jimmy walked into the house. He looked around at the gifts that were piled high in the living room.

"That's one spoilt kid." Jimmy muttered. "She'll turn into a brat."

Beth frowned. "She won't Merle won't let her." Beth pulled her hair into a ponytail. "Were you looking for daddy?"

Jimmy shook his head. "No I was looking for you, haven't seen you for a while."

Beth picked up the hamper. "You said that you didn't want me chasing you around so I stopped."

Jimmy scowled. "C'mon Beth..."

Beth walked towards the door. "Sorry Jimmy I have to go fishing, I don't want to keep them all waiting." Beth left that house and skipped down the porch steps and jogged towards the fishing group.

Andrea held Hope in her arms. The closer Beth got to her the more the young girl wiggled and struggled to reach for Beth.

"I'll do you a swap, Hope for the hamper." Andrea offered.

Beth gladly took Hope into her arms. The small girl looked slightly disappointed when she couldn't grab Beth's hair.

Merle and Daryl picked up canoe between them. "Alright let's go." Merle instructed.

"Wait." Hershel called to the group.

Merle huffed. He wanted to catch some fish for dinner not stand around all day chatting.

"What's up?" Merle asked as politely as he could manage.

"I just want to remind you boys to take care of my daughter. As fathers you appreciate how important children are." Hershel looked at both men sternly.

"Dad I'm not a child." Beth whined.

Merle chuckled. "Hey peaches your daddy is just watchin out for you. I won't let anythin happen to her." Merle looked over his shoulder at Beth. "Who else will cook me a meal and watch my girl, ain't that right peach." Merle threw a wink a Beth.

Beth blushed and her heart raced. _"He winked at you Beth, he must like you."_ She thought to herself.

Merle nodded at Andrea and wiggled his eyebrows. "C'mon blondie you lead the way."

Andrea rolled her eyes and walked towards the gates.

* * *

The large lake was beautiful and clear, the group had been fishing for a few hours now. Andrea and Daryl sat in the boat fishing whilst Merle sat on the shore in just his pants gutting the fish that had already been caught, with his bladed hand.

Beth watched Hope pick up a worm in her chubby hand. "No Hope that's icky." Beth took the worm away from the baby.

"Ick?" Hope called out. Her little head swirled around in search of Rick. "Ick?"

Beth giggled. "Not Rick, icky as in ewww."

Hope giggled and pointed at Merle. "Ewwww."

Merle smiled. "Excuse me I ain't a ewww, I'm daddy."

Beth watched Merle gut another fish. "Where did you learn that?" Beth asked trying to engage Merle in a conversation.

Merle swiftly gutted another fish. "Taught myself, had to eat. Our old man had a habit of spending food money on booze, drugs and women." Merle threw the fish guts into a bucket that sat near him.

Beth shuffled closer to Merle. "Can you teach me?"

Merle looked up at the young woman. "Nah, you're too squeamish for it girl."

Beth frowned. "I can do it. Patricia lets me help pluck the chickens."

Merle wiped his nose on the back of his hand and sniffed. "Okay." Merle pulled his knife from his sheath and handed it to Beth. "Right grab a fish." Merle grabbed the back of Hope's coat and pulled her close to him. "Get back here Squirt." He didn't want to risk Hope wandering off.

Hope babbled angrily as Merle pulled her towards him.

"Hang on a minute." Beth placed the knife down and went to the picnic hamper. She pulled out a teething biscuit. Beth placed Hope back at Merle's side and handed her the biscuit. "There you go Hope."

Hope sat down and started to suck and chew on the tasty treat. Merle looked surprised. "How the hell did you learn to do that?"

Beth picked up the knife. "Do what?"

Merle ruffled Hope's hair. "Make her sit still."

Beth smiled. "She just needs to be kept entertained." Beth didn't want to tell Merle she learnt it after Hope escaped from her several times.

"Right grab a fish." Merle instructed. Beth pulled a face of disgust as she grabbed the slippery sea creature. "Don't be a pussy bout it girl grab it." Beth held the fish firmly in one hand. "Insert the knife into the back of the fish, right near to the tail. Good now draw the knife toward the head." Beth poked her tongue out of the side of her mouth in concentration. "Good right now what ya wanna do is spread it apart with your fingers. Reach in and pull out the entrails."

Beth pulled the fish guts out and placed them in the bucket Merle had been using. "Is that it?" Beth asked smiling.

Merle felt proud of himself. He'd taught Daryl how to gut and skin animals but he'd never taught a girl before. Merle couldn't wait to teach Hope.

Beth looked over at Daryl and Andrea fishing. "We need to start getting back. Hope has gifts to open and we need to cook the fish."

Merle nodded he stood up and gave a whistle to the couple in the boat.

Daryl looked over at the shore. Merle, Beth and Hope were looking out at them. Merle waved his arms in the air.

"Time to go in." Daryl pulled his fishing pole into the boat.

Andrea looked towards the shore and her mouth flew open. "Daryl, walkers."

Daryl looked up and saw four walkers coming out of the woods. "Hope." Daryl muttered. "MERLE WALKERS!" Daryl yelled. He looked at Andrea. "We gotta get to shore now."

Merle turned around as the walkers started approaching them. He grabbed Beth and pushed her behind him. Hope whined at the rough jerky movement.

"Keep behind me." Merle glanced at Beth from over his shoulder.

Beth held Hope tightly to her chest trying to keep the small girl from seeing the carnage about to unfold.

Merle ran forward driving his blade deep in to the first walkers skull, he dislodged the creature with his hand and let it fall to the ground. Walkers two and three attacked together in a corpse double team. Merle kicked walker two to the floor whilst stabbing the third through the eye. By the time the final walker came forward Daryl was on the shore and at his brother's side. Daryl took care of walker number four with a well placed arrow. Merle walked over to the fallen walker and looked down at it struggling on the floor.

Merle gave the ugly rotting walker a look of pure anger. "All I wanted was a nice day out with my baby." Merle gave a snarl and stomped on the walkers head until it was no more than a mangled mess. "Guess it's too much to ask." Merle looked around at Hope; his little girl had started to grizzle.

Daryl started to pack away the supplies. "I thought you said this place was safe."

Merle grabbed his wifebeater off the ground and wiped his bloody knife on it. "No place is safe nowadays brother. This place is safe enough it's nowhere near the red zone."

Andrea helped Daryl pack everything away. Beth felt sadness in her heart at Merle's words _"no place is safe nowadays" _Beth softly rubbed Hope's back. "What about the farm?" Beth asked.

Merle handed Andrea the picnic hamper that was now filled with fish. "What about the farm peach?"

"Isn't that safe?" Beth asked in a panicked tone.

Merle ran his hand through his hair. He could tell Beth was scared and he didn't like it. Merle walked over to the young woman and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Listen girl the farm is safe." Merle gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "I wouldn't let anythin or anyone hurt my family. Okay?"

Beth nodded slowly she kissed Hope on that cheek and took in Hope's scent. The little girl was lucky to have a couple of great protectors in her life.

Daryl loaded his crossbow. "I'll take the front, Beth you stay tight behind me. Merle and Andrea will be behind you carrying the canoe."

Beth moved around the dead walkers, she tried to shield Hope from the gruesome sight but the baby caught sight of one of the dead walkers. Hope gave a small whine and buried her face into Beth's chest.

* * *

The group all sat around in the living room of the farm house. Hershel sat in his arm chair, his daughters sat on either arm next to their father.

Daryl and Merle sat on the rug next to Hope; the small girl seemed more interested in a large box than the toys sprawled around her.

Hope was now standing up and looking in the large box.

Daryl held up a rag doll. "Bug, look at the dolly." Daryl shook it in front of her.

Hope slapped Daryl's hand away. "No." She whined. Hope placed her weight on the box and it flipped over landing on top of Hope.

Hope laughed from underneath her cardboard cage. Merle tapped on the box with his stump.

"You alive in there Squirt?" Merle chuckled.

More laughter was heard and the box started to move along the floor. Maggie smiled at the moving box, she stood up. The farmer's daughter went and sat next to Glenn. Glenn smiled and held Maggie's hand then kissed her.

Daryl lifted the box up slightly, the only thing he could see were Hope's large blue eye. "Boo."

Hope laughed. She crawled around in a circle under the box and started to drag it around the living room again.

Daryl picked up the box making Hope scream. "Hey now Bug its bed time."

Daryl and Merle had extended Hope's bed time for her birthday and the girl had become overtired.

"Noooooooo." Hope howled and kicked her legs.

Merle picked Hope up and placed her on his lap. "Aww c'mon let her stay up."

Daryl pointed his finger at Merle. "No, she needs to sleep, she needs boundaries."

Merle snorted. "She's a baby, she don't understand."

"She understands plenty." Daryl snapped back.

Merle was far from impressed by his baby brother's attitude. "You wanna rethink how you're talkin to me brother. Cause it seems to me you may end up with a few teeth missin."

Hershel looked at the fighting brothers, he gave a small smile. The Dixon boys were becoming overtired themselves. Hershel held Beth's hand. "Bethy, how about a song?"

Beth shook her head and looked around the room in embarrassment. "No daddy I don't want to."

Hershel patted her hand gently. "Please, I love to hear you sing and it may smooth things over in here."

Beth bit her lip and took a deep breath. She started to sing.

_"Could you fall in love with me, ohh,_

_Love is such a mind blowing mystery._

_I know you're very busy, and the timings not quite right._

_But I would take a bus on a late Sunday night, to see you, to see you."_

The whole room fell silent at the sound of Beth's heavenly voice. Beth looked up at Merle, she noticed him looking at her with an odd sort of calmness. Beth blushed and looked back down at the floor. Hershel caught the look his girl had given Merle and it made the farmer uncomfortable.

_"Could you be my boyfriend, ohh._

_Boys are such a big book that I've barley read. _

_I know that you're much older, and you've had many lovers._

_But there's no place I'd rather be than under the covers, next to you, next to you."_

Hope snuggled down in Merle's arm. Merle found himself captivated by Beth's dulcet tones. He noticed the girl look at him and blush again. Merle smirk, he liked the fact he could still make a young girl blush.

_"And I'm tellin myself to be patient,_

_And I'm tellin myself to wait._

_Because when it comes to your love, I over anticipate._

_And I know that I've done this before._

_And I know I know I can't predict fate._

_But when it comes to your love, I over anticipate."_

Beth stopped singing and a warm serenity seemed to linger in the air.

"You got a good voice." Merle yawned. The last time he'd heard anyone sing like that was his mother. The woman used to sing Daryl to sleep all the time.

Beth sat up straight and smiled. "Thank you."

Daryl stretched his body out and stood up. "Right, let's get Hope to bed." Daryl took the small slumbering girl from Merle's lap.

Merle stood up and brushed himself down. "We'll pick up the toys in the mornin'."

Hershel gave the men a nod, he watched his youngest daughter look at the elder Dixon and he gave a small frown. Tomorrow he would need to have a chat with Merle about Beth's growing affections for the redneck.

* * *

**The song is called "Over Anticipate" and it's sung by Emily Kinney who plays Beth. If you haven't heard it you should check it out along with her other songs, they're great songs, very folksy. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Dino-SOAR, LostOne1775, Annelisa, BeingLolaStar, deelove1, FanFicGirl10, Emberka-2012,**

**Brazen Hussy, Lilone1776 and the guest who reviewed.**

**My Meth relationship will be building very slowly but if any of you want a very amazing Meth smut fix just check out Brazen Hussy's In His Own Image. It will turn anyone into a Meth addict.**

* * *

**Chapter 22.**

Hershel had set out first thing to find Merle. He needed to have a chat with the eldest Dixon. Merle was sat on top of the barn roof fixing a large hole.

"Merle may we talk." Hershel called up to Merle.

"Sure what's up?" Merle started to climb down the ladder.

Hershel waited for Merle to reach the ground and stand in front of him before he spoke. "I need to talk about Beth."

Merle wiped his dirty hand across his shirt. "What about her." Merle was becoming confused.

Hershel cleared his throat. "I think she's developing feelings for you and..."

Hershel was cut off by an explosion of laughter from Merle. "You back on the booze old man? Your girl ain't got no feelings for me, she loves Hope."

Hershel had started to turn red through anger. "Now you listen here..."

Merle raised his hand silencing the old farmer. "No you listen to me. You may as well go and accuse her of havin feelings for Daryl; she spends as much time with him as she does with me." Merle chuckled again. "I know your problem pops, that Chinese kid has knocked up your other daughter and now you're drivin yourself crazy over the other."

"How do you know about Maggie?" Hershel asked.

Merle smirked. "Cause it's my baby." Merle laughed huskily again. Hershel clenched his jaw tightly. "I'm kiddin, calm down I don't need you havin a heart attack. There ain't a lot that gets passed me." Merle spat on the ground. "Look I know women, and if your little peach wanted me to take a bite out of her I'd know."

Hershel let out a huff of anger. Maybe he was imagining the way Beth looked at Merle but he didn't want anyone near his baby girl, he had dropped the ball with Maggie he wasn't going to do the same with Beth. "I know how men like you think. Beth is a young girl and sometimes she confuses her feelings. I just wanted you to know that my daughter is off limits to your entire group."

Merle watched the old man walk away; he shook his head in disbelief. "Old man must've had a stroke." Merle muttered as he climbed his ladder.

* * *

Daryl stood behind Hope, he was stooped over her helping Hope walk. The little girl held Daryl's fingers in her chubby hands. Daryl could see Maggie sitting on the porch she looked lost and sad.

"Let's change direction bug." Daryl whispered. He didn't want to deal with women's problems, but it was too late Hope had seen Maggie.

Hope let out a laugh and made a slow beeline towards the farm house. Since finding her feet Hope didn't like to be carried, she liked to get to places on her own. Daryl admired his little girl's determination but it did mean that a simple two minute walk would turn into a ten minute trek.

Daryl looked down at Hope, her hair dark brown curls had started to grow quickly now. Daryl smiled, whenever Beth had Hope her hair would be tied up in pretty bows but when the Dixon boys had Hope the wild curls roamed free.

Maggie smiled at the Dixon duo tottering towards her. "Hey Hope." Maggie called out. Hope cackled and Maggie found herself laughing at the crazy child. "She looks like she's enjoying herself."

"She may be but it ain't doin my back any good." Daryl went to pick up Hope and the girl screamed. "Okay, okay." Daryl moaned.

Hope reached the porch steps, she let go of Daryl's fingers and started to climb. Daryl sat next to Maggie.

"Want a hand Bug?" Daryl watched his girl tackle the step.

"No." Hope squealed firmly.

Maggie laughed. "She's a stubborn girl. So where you heading?"

Daryl held his breath as Hope nearly fell forward but then regained her balance. "We're gonna see Merle, then I'm takin Bug horse ridin."

There were a few moments of silence and then Maggie looked at Daryl. "How do you do it?"

"Do what?" Daryl held his hand out as Hope fell forward. He picked up Hope and placed her in between Maggie and himself.

Hope stood and started to pull herself onto Maggie's lap. "Raise a baby." Maggie played with one of Hope's wild curls.

Daryl shrugged. "Just do it. This about you and Glenn?"

Maggie went cross eyed and pulled a duck pout at Hope, the girl laughed. "Yeah I'm pregnant."

"Gen." Hope yelled at Maggie. "Gen." Maggie pulled the strange face again.

Daryl nodded. He had figured that out after Glenn came to talk to him about babies. "So what's the problem?"

Maggie stopped pulling the face and Hope gave a whine. "What if I'm not a good mother?"

Daryl scratched the back of his head. "Yeah What if "the hokey pokey" is really what it's all about?"

Maggie found herself laughing. "What?"

Daryl noticed Hope about to pull Maggie's hair. Daryl tucked Maggie's hair behind her ear thwarting Hope's attempt to pluck Maggie bald. "Look we're a small group if you don't know what you're doin someone here will."

Maggie tilted her head and smiled at Daryl. "Thank you"

Daryl shrugged. "Well accordin to Merle, I gotta be Hope's agony aunt cause I'm a pussy."

Maggie laughed again. "Daryl you're not a pussy." Hope hook her fingers on to Maggie's bottom lip and yanked it down. "Ow that hurts Hope." Maggie pulled Hope's hand away and Hope yelled in anger.

"Glenn's a good man." Daryl pulled a stray hair off of Hope's coat.

Maggie placed her lips against Hope's cheeks and blew a raspberry making Hope squeal. "I know."

Daryl smiled, every time Hope laughed his heart soared. "And you love him?"

Maggie stopped and sighed gently. "Gen!" Hope cackled.

Maggie looked at Daryl. "I don't really know him, but I guess I could learn to."

"Gen." Hope waved her arms in frustration at the lack of attention.

Daryl stood up and took Hope off Maggie. "Look if it feels right do it, if it don't feel right don't."

Maggie rested her chin on her hand. "Thank you."

Daryl nodded. "Right Bug lets go see Merle."

"Mine." Hope bounced in Daryl's arms.

Daryl turned and started to walk towards the barn. Hope fidgeted in Daryl's arm trying her hardest to break free.

"Not a chance." Daryl held Hope tighter. "I wanna get there today not next year."

"Ewwww." Hope cried.

"Yeah call me ewww all you like, you still ain't gettin down." Daryl reached the barn and whistled up to Merle.

Merle looked down and smiled. "My girl."

Hope held out her arms. "Minee." She cried.

Merle started the climb down the ladder. Merle placed a kiss on Hope's cheek.

"Put her down boy, she wants to run free." When Daryl refused Merle took Hope from his hands and placed her on the ground.

Hope pulled herself to her feet and slowly waddled around. "What the hells gotten in to you?" Daryl noticed Merle was particularly crabby today.

Merle wiped the sweat from his brow. "Old man Greene."

Daryl watched Hope bend down and pull at a blade of grass. "What's he done?"

"The man's crazier than a shithouse fly. I'd stay away from him if I were you. He seems to think that his baby girl is after us for her own sexual needs." Merle snorted.

Daryl looked at Merle. "You serious?" Merle nodded. "It's Hope she likes to look after. What did you say?" Daryl started to panic. He didn't need Merle's temper or smart mouth getting them thrown off the farm.

"Just told the crazy old man the truth, Beth's a kid and I don't know about you but I got my handful with Hope, I don't need another girl to run round after." Merle whistled at Hope. "Ain't that right Squirt?"

Hope looked around at Merle. "No." She giggled.

"Well what the hell do you know anyways?" Merle poked his tongue out at Hope.

Daryl crossed his arms. "You know if Lori or Maggie have a boy we're gonna have to watch Hope."

"I ain't worried I'll just show 'em my gun collection." Merle ran his hand through his short hair. "Right I better finish the roof off." Merle picked Hope up and kissed her on the cheek.

"Maybe we should leave her with Carol instead of Beth for a while." Daryl suggested.

Merle scowled. "Hell no, Hope likes Beth I ain't stoppin my girl hangin out with peach just because her old man has lost his marbles." Merle handed Hope back to Daryl.

Daryl bounced Hope in his arms. Merle was right neither of them were doing anything wrong. Once Hershel got over the shock of becoming a granddad things would settle down. Daryl kissed the top of Hope's head.

"Tell ya one thing baby brother." Merle gave a chuckle. "I'd hate to be Glenn right about now."

Daryl gave a small laugh, Hershel may be old but Daryl wouldn't want to go up against him. Daryl knew that any man foolish enough to come between a man and his daughter deserved what they got.

"C'mon bug you wanna go on a pony ride?" Hope struggled in Daryl's arms. "No bug, if I let you walk we won't get to the stables until sundown."Daryl walked towards the stables. Hope's little face was turning red as she struggled in Daryl's arms.

As Daryl entered the stables Hope stopped struggling and smiled at the horses. Jimmy was in the stable cleaning out one of the stalls, he gave Daryl a look of distrust.

Daryl walked towards an old brown nag that stood silently in its stall. He raised Hope to the horse. Hope's hands shot out and rubbed against the horse's soft fur.

"Yeah thought that would shut you up." Daryl looked over at Jimmy. "I'm takin this horse."

Jimmy shrugged. "Have you asked Hershel? He doesn't like people taking his stuff, besides last time you took a horse it didn't go well."

Daryl cocked his head to the side; he thought this was about more than the horse. "You got somethin to say boy?"

"Daryl." A small sweet voice called out his name; both Daryl and Jimmy looked at the stable entrance to see Beth running in. "Wait." Beth stood in front of Daryl. "Maggie told me you were taking Hope horse riding so I dug this out." Beth held out a small riding helmet.

Daryl smiled. "Thanks here hold Bug." Daryl took the helmet off Beth and handed her Hope. He placed the small helmet on Hope's head. "Where did you get it from?" He asked whilst securing the strap under Hope's chin.

Beth gave a small laugh as Hope tried to pull the hat off her head. "It's mine from when I was a child, my mom used to take me riding with her. I was saving it for my children."

Hope pulled at the helmet. "No, mine." She yelled.

Daryl rubbed his nose against Hope's. "It stays on Bug." Daryl walked over to the stable that held the elderly horse. He walked the horse out and started to saddle her.

Beth rocked Hope in her arms. "Oh thank god you're taking bluebell." Beth didn't want to think of Hope on a young fast horse.

Daryl rubbed the old horse's nose. "Well I don't want anythin that's gonna throw Bug off." Daryl mounted the horse and held his arms out for Hope.

Beth handed Hope up to Daryl. "Have a nice ride Hope." Beth smiled.

Daryl wrapped his arm firmly around Hope; the girl rocked her body impatiently. Daryl smiled down at Beth. "You're a sweet kid."

Beth grinned at the complement. Beth felt she had very little to offer the group and the fact that Daryl and Merle trusted her with Hope made her feel useful. As Daryl and Hope trotted out of the stable Jimmy gave the man a pure look of hate.

Hope giggled and squealed with delight as she rode around the farm. Every person she saw on her trip she would wave her arms frantically at them, as if she was some sort of princess greeting her loyal subjects.

"Ick!" Hope yelled. Daryl stopped the horse. "Ick."

Rick lightly patted Hope on the top of the helmet. "How's little Miss Dixon doing?"

"Yes." She replied clapping her hands. "Ick. Mine. Dada."

Rick gave a chuckle. "Daryl I'm not sure but I do believe your daughter thinks she owns everything."

Daryl smiled. "Ain't you heard?" Rick looked up at Daryl. "Shes gonna be group leader by the time she hits her fifth birthday."

Rick smiled. "Fifth huh? Not second?"

Daryl snorted. "Don't be stupid man. She needs to learn to handle my crossbow first." Both men started to laugh. "Right we better finish our ride and then go get daddy Merle for dinner."

Daryl gave the horse a gentle kick and Bluebell moved off. Daryl held his girl close to his body and smiled as Hope sat happily babbling at him.


	23. Chapter 23

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing.**

**For anyone worrying about Daryl not getting any affection, don't worry he'll get some at some point. All Dixons deserve some love.**

**Thanks to piratejessieswaby, Annelisa, Dino-SOAR, rorolovesvamps, FanFicGirl10, Brazen Hussy, Emberka-2012, Lilone1776, bashfyl and dietchola.**

* * *

**Chapter 23.**

Beth stood at her bedroom window watching the RV in the flames of the low burning fire pit. Beth was waiting for Merle to leave the RV. The first time Beth had seen him leave she hadn't been looking for him; she had been admiring the stars in the night sky. Merle had just caught her attention as his shadow darted across the camp. Beth had then kept watch for the next week and like clock work Merle would appear from the RV and silently make his way to somewhere. Beth had decided tonight was the night. Tonight she was going to follow Merle. Beth waited and her patience was rewarded.

Merle stepped out of the RV he looked around making sure there was no one watching him. Merle then softly closed the RV door and moved across the campsite. Merle had been making this trip for months now, he could have done it in the daylight but then people would see him. Merle didn't want people to know he was a weak man.

Merle stopped in front of Rowan's grave. The grass had started to grow over the dirt now but it was neat and tidy. Sophia and Carol tended the grave regularly. Sophia had grown close to Rowan in Woodbury and the girl thought Rowan would like a neat grave. Merle stood just looking at the area. Underneath that pile of grass and dirt was Rowan, his Rowan the only woman who had liked him for him. Most women wanted Merle as a bit of rough or they'd use him to score free drugs, but Rowan she wanted to leave with him and start a new life. Rowan was the reason he and Hope were safe and Merle had let her down, he had let her die.

Merle raised his head at the sound of a twig breaking. Merle span around with speed, he grabbed the intruder and threw them to the floor. Merle swiftly straddled them and held his metal wrist guard tight to their throat.

"Peach." Merle removed his arm from her throat. "What are you doing?" Merle was shocked to see the young woman lying underneath him.

At first Beth was frightened. Merle's weight on her small body let her know how strong he was. Merle could snap Beth in two if he wanted, but as soon as Merle pulled his metal wrist guard away from her throat Beth wasn't sure how she felt. She liked the weight of Merle's body on top of hers; she could smell his musky scent and feel the strong firm muscles in his large legs that sat either side of her body.

"I saw you leave and..."

Merle stood up. "And what you decided to turn stalker? What's wrong with you girl?" Merle was angry he didn't want anyone to know about this, he didn't want anyone to know how he still hurt.

Beth pulled herself up off the ground, she rubbed her throat. "It's okay to miss her Merle." Beth whispered softly, she went to touch his arm but Merle pulled away.

Merle snorted. What the hell did Beth know she was just a kid. "You listen here I was just out for a walk I don't need your shit."

Beth stepped forward. "It's okay Merle I miss my mom, she got bit. You moved her when you cleared out the barn and..."

Merle pointed his metal stump at Beth. "Don't you dare." Merle's voice was still low but it held a menacing tone to it. "Don't you dare compare her to that freak shoe your ol' man kept in that barn, Rowan was murdered and I put the bullet in her brain to stop her from turnin. You ain't lived yet you stupid girl, you don't know what it's like to have to..." Merle couldn't get out the final words _kill someone_. He took a deep breath. "Just get back to bed."

Beth thought she was going to cry. She always thought that Merle was misunderstood but maybe she was wrong maybe Merle was just a monster.

* * *

Merle lay on the floor of the RV next to Hope's crib. He had barely slept that night; he'd tossed and turned his memories filled with Beth and how upset the girl had been.

"Fuckin asshole." Merle mumbled to himself. "That's what you are Dixon fucking pussy, upsetting little girls." If someone had talked to Hope like that they'd be missing teeth.

"Mine." Hope pushed her face against the crib bars and smiled down at Merle. "It's Mine." Hope placed her arm through the bars and made grabbing motions.

Merle stood up, he looked across at the bed. Daryl was still sleeping. The boys took it in turns to sleep in the bed but they had both decided as soon as Hope was old enough she would have the bed and the boys would sleep in tents outside the RV. Andrea had joked that the boys would be like Hope's very own guard dogs.

Merle picked up Hope he showered her chubby face with kisses until she laughed and squealed.

"Dada." Hope pointed to Daryl's slumbering form. "A Dada." Hope gave Merle a cheeky smile her Dixon blue eyes twinkled with mischief.

Merle smiled. "Wanna wake the pussy up?"

Hope threw her arms around like a crazed person. "Ussy." She yelled.

Merle picked up a little wooden hammer from Hope's toy chest; he handed it to Hope and placed her on the bed. "Go on squirt, go get him."

Hope crawled at high speed towards Daryl's head. She stood up and started to bang the hammer on Daryl's head. "Dada ussy!" Hope screeched.

Daryl pulled his hand up blocking Hope's attack. "What the hell bug?" Daryl took the small wooden hammer out of Hope's hand.

Hope let out an ear splitting scream, she twisted her head in Merle's direction. "NO MINE!"

Daryl threw the hammer on to the floor and sat up. "Enough, you stop that." Hope sat on the bed her bottom lip poked out in a pout and it started to tremble. "No I ain't buyin that." Hope's eyes grew wider. Daryl was pretty sure her face had now become sixty per cent eyes. "I don't care." Daryl said firmly. Hope's large blue eyes started to well up. "Damn." Daryl moaned, he leant out of his bed and picked up the hammer, he handed it back to Hope. "No hittin with it though."

Hope threw the hammer off the bed. Hope tilted her head looked at Merle. "Mine." Hope pointed to the hammer on the floor. "Peas Mine."

Merle smiled and picked up the hammer. He handed it to Hope. "Well you did say please." Merle rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Daryl. "You think you can drop Squirt off at the farm house today?"

Daryl pulled Hope on to his lap and hugged her tightly. "Don't see why not, why don't you wanna go?" Merle loved morning drop off with Hope. Beth would always cook too much breakfast and whichever Dixon brought Hope to the house got a good feeding before they started their day. It was unlike Merle to give up a second breakfast.

Merle shrugged. "Just got stuff to do."

Daryl knew not to push Merle. "Okay sure." Daryl slid out of bed. "C'mon my little bug lets get you ready."

Hope waved her hand at Merle. "Ussy." She yelled as Daryl took her into the bathroom.

"Damn right I am." Merle muttered to himself. Merle didn't want to face Beth right away, he didn't want the girl crying or doing other girly shit to him because he'd upset her. Truth be told Merle was upset that he had lost his temper so easily with the girl.

* * *

Daryl and Rick were chopping wood together, both men were shirtless. Daryl had always worn a shirt to hide his scared body but as his bond with the group grew he had started to become less self-conscious.

Maggie, Lori, Andrea and Carol all sat around in camping chairs watching the two men work. It wasn't a particularly hot day but both Daryl and Rick had managed to work up a sweat. The sweat clung to their bodies and glistened off their muscular arms and torsos.

Andrea gave a happy sigh. "Now this I could get used to."

Maggie stood up. "There's only one thing to make this better." Maggie jogged towards the house.

Andrea wolf whistled at the two men; both men stopped working and looked over the women.

"Go make me a sandwich!" Daryl yelled to the blonde.

Andrea laughed. "Get back to work Dixon." Daryl flipped Andrea off and went back to work.

Maggie came jogging back with a bowl of popcorn. "Anybody want a snack?"

Lori looked shocked. "Where the hell did you get popcorn from?"

Maggie settled back down in her chair. "Well I mentioned that I missed popcorn the other day and a basket of corn was left on the front porch." Maggie placed the popcorn in her mouth. "Beth and Patricia did the rest."

Andrea shovelled a handful of popcorn in her mouth. "So who left the corn?"

Maggie shrugged. "Don't know. Guess I'll never know."

Daryl looked across at the women. He raised his axe and splintered another log in two.

"Ain't they got nothin better to do?" Daryl moaned.

Rick chuckled. "I think I know how those women feel now; you know the ones who walk pass builders yards."

Daryl smiled. "Andrea used to be a lawyer surely she knows about sexual harassment and shit." Daryl looked up and smiled at the woman who were now chatting and cackling like witches. "So a baby huh?"

Rick grinned. "Yeah, of course I had to have the talk with Carl."

Daryl gave a light snort. "Yeah, Sophia and I heard all about it." Daryl went to pick up another log. "Talk of the devil."

Sophia came running towards the two men. "Rick, Daryl. Carl is stuck in a tree."

Daryl looked at Rick both men looked confused. Daryl placed his hands on his hips. "What's he doin up a tree?"

Sophia looked behind her and pulled on Rick's sleeve impatiently. "He climbed up to get our ball and the branch broke and now he's stuck. Quick!" Sophia ran off.

Daryl and Rick placed down their axes and started to run after Sophia.

Daryl stopped as he caught sight of Merle. "Merle can you go pick up bug, I got to help Rick." Daryl didn't wait for a reply he ran off again.

Rick, Sophia and Daryl stopped under a large tree. Daryl looked up to see Carl hanging on to a branch for dear life, he legs kicked around in the air trying to reach for another branch.

"Dad help." Carl grunted as he tried to keep a firm grip on the branch.

Rick looked for a way up to his son. "Carl stay calm." Daryl started to sprint away. "Daryl where are you going?"

"I'll be back, keep him calm." Daryl called back.

Daryl came running back with his crossbow and a length of rope. Daryl securely tied the rope around an arrow and aimed his crossbow at the branch Carl was dangling from.

"Stay still." Daryl yelled. He needed a clear shot at the branch. Daryl released the arrow and it embedded itself in the branch. "Now grab the rope and climb down." Daryl instructed.

Carl wrapped his legs around the rope and started to inch his way to the ground.

As soon as Carl made contact with the ground Rick hugged him. "Next time ask for help." Rick sighed.

Sophia looked sadly up into the tree. "Our ball is still up there."

Daryl sighed he took the rope in his hand and climbed up the rope. Once he was in reach of the ball Daryl knocked it to the ground and climbed back down the rope.

"Thank you." Sophia flung her arms around Daryl's waist.

* * *

Merle walked slowly towards the farmhouse he still didn't want to have to face Beth, but he needed to man up and in the words of his girl stop being a "Ussy."

Merle walked into the house he was hoping Patricia would be with Hope but he was out of luck it was Beth. Hope sat in her high chair she was happily babbling to herself.

Merle took a deep breath and walked into that kitchen. "Well if it ain't the two prettiest girls in all of Georgia." Merle hoped his charm would stop any questions about last night.

Hope waved her arms around in the air. "Mine." She yelled.

Beth huffed. "Funny I thought I was just a stupid girl."

"Mine." Hope yelled.

Merle played with Hope's hair trying to silence her. "Look peach I was angry..."

"Mine." Hope whined.

Merle looked at Hope. "What's yours Squirt." Merle was starting to get irate. "I didn't mean to..."

"Mine, Mine, MINE!" Hope banged her hands.

"Enough!" Merle yelled.

Beth looked at Merle, Hope's eyes grew wide and her bottom lip trembled.

"No." Beth waved her finger at Merle. "You can shout at me and call me stupid but you don't yell at Hope." Beth picked up Hope.

Merle gave a growl. "I didn't mean to, it ain't like I yell at her all the time."

Beth rocked Hope. "She was only calling for you."

It was Merle's turn to huff. "No she wanted somethin and..."

Beth shook her head. "You give Hope whatever she wants so that's your fault if she's getting bratty." Merle went to talk but was silenced by Beth's stern stare. "She's asking for you, you...idiot. She calls you Mine, sometimes Dada Mine. Daryl is Dada and Rick is Ick." Hope stuck her thumb in her mouth. "Don't you wonder why she shouts Mine if she's upset or if Daryl is telling her off."

Merle gave a shocked snort. "I'm Mine." Merle sighed. "Look all I was tryin to say was...I didn't mean to be so harsh with ya."

Beth kissed Hope on the head and handed her to Merle. "It's okay I just wanted you to know you're not alone."

Merle gave a nod. A cheeky grin spread across his face. "So peach what were you doin out at that time of night? Hopin to have a fumble in the barn with that boy?" Merle wiggled his eyebrows and flicked his tongue out making Beth blush.

Beth looked at the floor. "No I...I, um."

Merle gave a laugh. "I'm gonna have to call you strawberry if you carry on blushin all the time."

Beth blushed again. She has never been around men like Merle before. He didn't care what he said or to who. Beth bit her lip she was going to do it; she was going to flirt with Merle. She took a deep breath.

"Maybe...it was...y-you I was going to take to the barn." Beth went crimson red and Merle laughed.

"Oh strawberry, you shouldn't be saying things like that to an old man you'll give me and your daddy a heart attack." Merle placed Hope on the floor and started to laugh at the young woman's embarrassment.

Beth felt completely mortified; her first attempt a flirting with Merle had failed miserably. The embarrassment was soon taking over by anger. How dare he laugh at her.

"Stop making fun of me." Beth snapped.

Merle stopped laughing. "Peach I ain't making fun of you it's just funny a girl like you trying to act sexual." Merle watched Hope climb to her feet and totter around the kitchen. "Hell I bet you can't even say the fuck can ya?"

Belle crossed her arms. "Well I think you shouldn't be saying it in front of your daughter." Beth looked into Merle's eyes. "And what different does it make if I can't say fu... that word? It called making love."

Merle snorted he moved closer to Beth, he was so close Beth could feel the heat coming off his body. Merle placed his mouth close to her ear. "Little girl it ain't love makin its cold hard fuckin. Love makin is for fairy tales."

Beth took a deep breath she tried to fight every feeling her body was giving off but it was hard. Merle's body so close to hers made her feel safe yet she felt slightly threatened by the strength the man held. She felt disgusted by the words that crept out of his mouth, yet aroused at the way his husky voice muttered such words to her.

Merle stood back and took a good look at Beth; the girl was blushing and almost trembling. Merle smiled he'd won. He didn't have to explain last night to her. Merle picked up Hope, he went to leave.

"I know why you go there at night." Beth's voice made Merle stop. "It's because you don't want the others to know how much you hurt."

Merle turned. "Is that right now peach?" Merle tried to make his tone as intimidating as he could. He thought he'd managed to avoid the touchy subject but he was mistaken.

It was Beth's turn to move towards Merle. She tried to hide any fear she felt. "Yes. I think you're a good man deep down." Merle snorted his breath hit the top of Hope's head, Hope laughed at the tickle of her father's breath in her curls. "God wouldn't have blessed you with Hope if you weren't."

Merle gave another snort. "He let them take her away." Merle pointed out.

Beth ran her hand softly over Hope's cheek. "God helped you find her."

Merle kissed Hope's head. "Yeah had to do a lot of evil stuff to keep her." Merle stared deep into Beth's compassionate eyes. "Killed a woman can't have been much older than you her name was Lily. I cut her head clean off." Merle wanted Beth to run away from him, he didn't want her to get close to him. Any woman that got close to him would die in the end. When there wasn't a look of disgust in Beth's eyes Merle continued. "Killed bunch of old people who didn't deserve it to."

Beth moved her hand from Hope's cheek and placed it on Merle's. "But you feel remorse about it; an evil man wouldn't feel sorrow for the lives he took. You can't push everyone away with your crude words and temper Merle." Beth stood on her tip toes and kissed Merle softly and tenderly on the cheek. "You're a good man."

Hope looked up at Merle her eyes wide and sparkling, she wiggled her body in Merle's arms and mirrored Beth's kiss. "Dada mine."

Merle was speechless for a few seconds; he just stood staring at this young woman who had wisdom beyond her years. Merle was more of a child than she was. Merle wasn't sure how he felt about the small kiss she placed on his cheek. He felt conflicted by his feelings. Beth was young woman untouched by a man, she didn't need a monster like him clawing at her and taking her innocence away. Merle knew he had to shake whatever feelings that were bubbling deep beneath the surface for the youngest Greene and he had to do it fast.


	24. Chapter 24

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to LostOne1775, Annelisa, Dino-SOAR, FanFicGirl10, Emberka-2012, Lilone1776 and Brazen Hussy.**

* * *

**Chapter 24. **

As the weeks passed Hope's vocabulary and knowledge grew. Thanks to the Dixon boys vile mouths she had learnt an array of cuss words from pussy or "ussy" right the way down to fuck or "chuck." A few of the older camp members of the group had raised their concerns about Hope's potty mouth but their concerns fell on deaf ears.

Hope was also learning the power of temper tantrums. The small girl had started to discover who would give into the angry outbursts and who would scold her for them. Hope had given up throwing tantrums in front of Daryl, Maggie, Lori, Beth, Carol and Hershel whilst she would often kick up a fuss for Merle, Rick, Shane, Dale and Glenn. The remaining members of the group would just disappear when Hope's temper started to boil over.

Rick's group had started to move into the farmhouse for the winter. Hershel had grown fond of the group even if he wouldn't admit it and didn't want to leave pregnant women and children out in the cold.

Shane entered the house to the sound of banging and what sounded like a cat being skinned alive. Shane walked into the kitchen to find Merle sitting on the floor with Hope. Large metal pans were scattered across the floor and Hope banged on them with a large wooden spoon.

"Oooohhhhhoooohhhhhooooohh." Hope sang out of tune whilst banging the pans wildly.

Shane winced at the deafening noise. "Patricia isn't going to be happy you're usin her pans." Shane yelled above the noise.

Merle chuckled. "Ain't she somethin?" Merle smiled proudly at his little noise maker.

Shane gave a happy sigh when Hope stopped banging and looked up at him. "Yeah she's something alright."

Hope waved the spoon at Shane a cheeky smile spread across her face. "Sannnneee." She sang at Shane.

Shane didn't really car for Daryl or Merle but he couldn't deny the massive soft spot he had for Hope. The girl had a way of making everything adorable. Shane was aware that the older she got the less cute she would become but for now she was a cutie, the only problem was that she knew it.

Shane squatted down next to Hope. "Can I help you Miss." He ruffled her messy brown curls.

Hope wiggled her butt on the floor, she held the spoon close to her face as if she was trying to hide behind it. "Nooo." Hope giggled the word.

Merle gave a snort. "Hell Squirt don't pretend you're shy."

Shane rubbed Hope's cheek making Hope bounce on her butt and giggle. "You gone shy on me?"

"Noooo." Hope giggled again.

Shane looked over at Merle. "You moving in here?" Shane felt a tapping on his knee. Hope was hitting him with the wooden spoon, as soon as Shane turned to face Hope she tried to hide behind the spoon again.

Merle chuckled at his girl's strange behaviour. "Yeah just for the cold nights. Peach has gone and given us her room she's moving in with Patricia for now."

Shane gave a nod. "Nice kid."

"Yeah she is." Merle muttered back. He had to keep reminding himself that's what Beth was. Merle shook Beth from his thoughts. "Why you ask anyways?"

Shane looked down at the floor. "I want to stay in there."

Merle didn't ask he knew why Shane wanted to distance himself from the group. "Lori." Shane nodded. "Baby yours?"

Shane looked back to Merle. "She's saying it's not, saying its Ricks."

Merle tapped his finger on a pan that sat near him; Hope copied him by hitting her pan with her spoon. "It don't matter." Shane looked confused. "It don't matter who fathered the damn kid we all end up raisin the thing. Not that I want to be raisin yours and that damn Chinese kids babies." Merle's smile said otherwise. Merle Dixon had a soft spot for babies but he would kill anyone who pointed it out.

Shane stood up. "It's going to call Rick daddy."

"Yeah well I still ain't sure what Hope will call me and Daryl when she gets older. She can't call us both daddy that's gonna get confusin'." Merle sighed. "You got two options. Tell good ol' officer friendly bout you screwin his wife or shut up about it."

Shane placed his hands in his pockets. "That easy is it."

Merle nodded. "That easy." Merle's eyes suddenly turned hard and cold. "But let's get one thing straight, you do anything to put this group in danger and I'll put a bullet in your head."

Shane gave a snort like laugh. "Really, now here was me thinking you didn't like this group much."

"I don't." Merle replied honestly. "Not all of them, I rub along for Hope's sake. I ain't dumb I know Hope's safety relies on the group so my job is to keep the group safe."

Daryl came walking into the kitchen. "Dada!" Hope threw her arms in the air.

Daryl looked around at the mess in the kitchen and shook his head. "Y'know Patricia is on her way here and she ain't happy already cause Glenn accidentally let the chickens out."

Merle got to his feet. "Relax baby bro Hope was just singing."

Daryl smiled. "Were ya singing a song bug?"

"No." Hope waved the spoon at Merle.

Merle grinned. "You dirty liar." Merle bent down and banged his metal nub on a pan.

Hope laughed and banged her spoon on the pans around her. "Ohhhhohhoooooooohhhhhooo. Miiiiiinnnneeeeeee." Hope started singing again.

Daryl caught the sound of the front door opening he saw Patricia enter the living room, she looked worn out and fit to burst. Daryl gave a sly nod to Merle.

Merle and Daryl both bolted towards the back door, before Shane knew what was going on Patricia entered the kitchen.

"My pans!" She shrieked. "What did you do Shane?" Patricia picked up the pan that Merle had been banging on. "This one is all bent. You better clean up this mess you hear?" Patricia strode out of the room muttering under her breath.

Shane stood speechless and gobsmacked in the middle of the kitchen. He looked across at the window to see Daryl and Merle peering in at him. Both the brothers were laughing.

Shane may have been lost for words but Hope certainly wasn't, she dropped her spoon looked up at Shane and just said. "Chuckin hell."

Shane looked down at Hope. "You can say that again."

Daryl and Merle came slinking back into the kitchen both of them giggling like children.

Shane picked up a pan and pointed it at the boys. "You two are bastards."

Hope tilted her head her little eyes squinted up at Shane. "Baaaaa...basss."

"Bug no." Daryl picked Hope up. "No more bad words."

Hope giggled. "Noooooooo." She threw her head back and laughed. "No, no."

Merle chuckled to himself and started picking up the pans. "Hey brother why don't you go take Hope out while I'll clean up this mess."

Daryl gave a nod and left the kitchen with Hope in his arms. Daryl walked outside and looked up to the sky, large black clouds rolled high above him.

"Storms comin." Daryl looked back down at Hope. "You ready for a storm bug?"

Hope tilted her head up. A small splatter of rain hit her face. "Nooooo!" Hope whined. "Owwww."

Daryl laughed and wiped Hope's face. "Its water it didn't bite ya. C'mon let's get you back in before you melt."

Daryl walked back into the house just as the rain started to fall.

Rick stood in the living room looking out the window at the rain. "Looks like its going to get rough out there."

Daryl stood by Rick's side. "Lucky Hershel let us stay here I guess."

Raindrops splattered against the window making Hope shiver. "NO!" The small girl yelled at the falling rain. She looked at Daryl "Stop."

Rick laughed. "Seems Hope thinks she can control the weather." Rick held his arms out. "May I?" He asked Daryl.

Daryl handed Hope to Rick. "Do you want to go and play with Carl and Sophia?" Hope smiled at Rick, her hands played with the stubble on his chin. "You want to go play?"

Hope pointed outside. "Go?" Hope wiggled in Ricks arms she placed a slobbery kiss on his chin. "Peas."

"No it's raining we can't go out there, Carl and Sophia are upstairs." Rick didn't understand how he had entered a conversation with the small girl but he had. Hope seemed intelligent and aware of everything around her, he knew the older she got he'd have to keep an eye on her. Hope was going to be a troublemaker.

Hope scowled looking at the rain covered window. "Shhhhh. No." Hope looked at Daryl. "Stop."

Daryl didn't know what to do, his girl was asking him to stop the rain for her. If he could he would. "Sorry bug." Hope rested her head on Rick's chest and huffed. "C'mon let's go play with your toys. You can shoe Uncle Rick your rockin horse."

Rick rubbed Hope's back. "I'd love to see your horsey. May I ride it?"

Hope huffed. "No." She placed her thumb in her mouth. "Mine." She mumbled with a mouthful of thumb.

* * *

The storm raged throughout the day and into the night. A rumble of thunder and flash of lightning woke Hope. The child started to cry and both boys were by her side in seconds.

Daryl picked Hope up and rocked her in his arms. "It's alright bug hush now baby."

Merle looked out the window and groaned he grabbed his boots and walked towards the door.

"Where you goin?" Daryl asked.

"Stable doors blown open and a horse is loose." Merle walked back over to Hope and kissed her on the head. "I'll sort it out you get squirt back to sleep."

Daryl scowled. "It's to dangerous leave it till morin."

Merle shook his head. "Nah. What if more horses break free and damage the fence?" Merle opened the door. "I won't be long."

Merle rushed down the stairs and out of the house. The wind and rain whipped his skin it stung a little but Merle wasn't a pussy, he could cope with it.

Merle made his way slowly towards the escaped horse. "C'mon girl nice and easy." Merle muttered in low tones.

Another crack of thunder made the horse rear up and bolt. Merle got knocked to the ground mud soaked his skin and clothes.

"You should be carefully with Nelly." Merle tilted his head back and saw Beth standing over him.

The young woman had more sense than Merle. She was dressed in a heavy duty waterproof coat with a hood and had red Wellington boots on her feet.

Merle pulled himself to his feet his whole body was now covered in mud. "Peach get back in it's to..." A bolt of lightning hit a nearby tree. Merle instinctively grabbed Beth and pulled her into his body out of harms way.

Beth looked up at Merle her tiny face seemed lost in the oversized hood. "You need help Merle, you can't do this alone."

Merle let go of Beth. "I'm fine I don't need help." Merle made his way back towards Nelly, he tried to make the horse move backwards towards the stable but the horse had other ideas. She ran again and once more Merle ended up in a large mud puddle.

Beth didn't say anything she just walked over to the stubborn man and looked down at him sitting in the mud puddle.

Merle looked at Beth he bowed his head and sighed. "Help me." He yelled over the wind. "Please." The words were painful for Merle to say, he almost spat them at Beth.

Beth nodded and helped Merle to his feet. "We need some rope to loop around her neck so we have something to lead her with."

Merle nodded and ran into stables, he ignored how cold he had become and how his body ached. Merle grabbed some rope and darted back into the pouring rain.

"Well I'll be damned." Merle squinted through the driving rain. Beth stood beside Nelly gently stroking the horse's mane and whispering in the animal's ear.

Merle walked towards Beth and gave her a light nod. Beth walked to Merle and took the rope off him, she slipped the loop around Nelly's neck the horse gave a snort and a whine. Beth started to lead Nelly towards the stable, another rumble of thunder made Nelly pull on the rope. Merle grabbed the rope before the horse pulled Beth off her feet.

The pair walked the horse into the stable. Beth took Nelly to her stall and closed the door. She turned and looked at Merle.

Merle was covered head to toe in mud, the muscular redneck stood soaked to the skin and shivering. Beth unzipped her raincoat and pulled out a small silk handkerchief from her pocket. She walked over to Merle and started to wipe the mud off Merle's face.

Merle wrapped his hand softly around Beth's wrist. "I'm fine." He whispered. Merle liked the softness of the girl but he didn't trust himself to have her so close to him. Beth slowly moved forward and placed a kiss on Merle's lips. Merle pulled away. "What you doin?" Merle snapped angrily.

Beth blushed. "I...I thought."

"You thought wrong." Merle shook his head. "Your daddy would gun me down if he found out and the group would throw me out. I'd lose Hope, is that what you want?"

Beth shook her head she pulled down her hood revealing her perfect blonde angel curls. "They don't have to know." Beth moved slowly forward and Merle moved back. Beth felt like she was dealing with Nelly again. "Please Merle I love you."

"You don't know me." Merle replied. Beth was a young girl and Hershel's daughter, she was too young to know about love. "You just don't have a lot of choice of men around here."

"I do have a choice Merle and I'm choosing you." Beth moved forward again she placed her hands either side of Merle's face and kissed him.

This time Merle's body won over his brain. Merle kissed the young woman back; he wrapped his metal arm around Beth's waist pulling the girls soft body close to his wet hard one. Merle's free hand entangled itself in Beth's blonde curls pushing her further into the kiss. Beth groaned she wrapped her arms around Merle's neck her fingers played with the curls in his hair. The thought of what the powerful man could do to her made Beth whimper in pleasure. Beth had kissed Jimmy hundreds of times before but this sensation was completely new. Merle's stubble scratched against her soft skin, his body was firm and muscular it felt good to have such a hard solid mass pushed tight against her small slender frame.

"Bethy!" Hershel's voice called from somewhere outside in the dark storm. "Bethy are you out here?"

Merle pulled away from the kiss his eyes lingered on Beth's face. "We shouldn't...I shouldn't."

Beth kissed Merle softly on the lips. "We have to try, for us. It's our business not theirs." Beth stepped far enough away from Merle so Hershel would suspect anything. "I'm in here daddy."

Hershel walked in and looked around. His eyes instantly fell on Merle. "What happened here?"

"Horse got out so I brought it back in." Merle replied he nodded at Beth. "Peach helped me."

Hershel looked from Merle to Beth. Merle's heart started to beat a little faster he was pretty sure the old man knew he was lying, he was sure he'd been caught.

Hershel gave a nod. "Thank you Merle." He held his hand out to Beth. "Come along Beth the storms not getting any better let's get you inside."

Beth let Hershel lead her out of the barn she gave Merle a soft smile as she left. Merle let out a deep groan, he was screwed, fooling around with Beth was wrong but when her body was pressed close to his and she was kissing him with a fiery passion it felt right. Merle let out a growl of anger and kicked a bucket across the floor, how could he be so foolish he was risking too much.

* * *

Daryl sat on the bed with Hope on his lap. With every clap of thunder and flash of lightening Hope would whine and shake.

"Hey bug its okay." Daryl rocked Hope against his body.

Another shot of thunder sounded and the rain rattled the window pane.

Hope jumped. "Dada noooo, dada stop." Hope wailed.

Daryl looked around the room for something to soothe his little girl. Daryl looked over at the small dresser and smiled, he placed Hope back in her crib. Hope stood up; she cried pleading with her father to pick her up again.

Daryl pulled the dresser closer to the bed; he then pulled the sheet off the bed and draped it between the dresser and the bed. Daryl secured the sheet with a few heavy books on both sides. Daryl stood back and smiled at his makeshift tent. He threw a few pillows inside his little den and then took Hope out of her crib.

"C'mon bug let's go into the thunder fort." Daryl entered the fort and placed Hope beside him. Daryl lay on his side; he pulled Hope close to him.

Hope looked around at the strange thing her father had made. She gave a whine and then placed her thumb in her mouth. She gave a hiccup and a sniff.

"Dada." She muttered through her thumb.

Daryl played with Hope's hair. "Right her bug always will be."

Hope tucked her body into Daryl's chest burying her face deep into his top. Hope hiccupped again and then light snores could be heard. Daryl smiled and curled his body protectively around his little bug.


	25. Chapter 25

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to piratejessieswaby, Annelisa, Brazen Hussy, Pontythings, Lilone1776, FanFicGirl10, Emberka-2012, deelove1, Dino-SOAR and VanityMayhem.**

* * *

**Chapter 25. **

Merle Dixon had always appreciated his baby girl's stubborn streak. Whenever Hope threw a temper tantrum or refused to do something Merle saw himself in the adorable girl, but right now Merle was finding his girls stubbornness infuriating.

Merle was on his hands and knees in their bedroom trying to coax Hope out from under the bed. Over the last few weeks Hope had decided she no longer wished to wear any form of clothing and anyone who tried to dress her met her fiery temper head on. The boys made sure that Hope was dressed in clothes with enough buttons and zippers stopping Hope's attempts to shed her clothing. Hershel had told them it was perfectly natural for children to go through this stage but it was of little comfort to the Dixon men.

Merle had managed to get her diaper on her but after that Hope had escaped and scurried under the bed. Merle had tried every angle to get Hope out. He had tried bribing her, shouting at her he had even gone as far as threatening to get Hershel or Daryl in the room.

Merle tried to move his body under the bed. "C'mon squirt."

"No!" Hope yelled. She gave Merle a look that let him know she wasn't going to back down anytime soon.

Merle rested all his weight on his damaged arm and made a swipe for Hope; the girl crawled backwards and laughed.

"C'mon Squirt we're gonna miss Peach's party. Don't ya wanna to get all dressed up in your party dress?" Merle couldn't believe he was trying to negotiate with a baby.

"Noooo Mine a stinky." Hope laughed wildly at Merle's attempt to reach her. "Ussy Ussy." She was almost taunting Merle.

Merle's temper was now close to breaking point. "I swear to god girl I'm givin ya to the count of ten then I'm gonna tear this room apart."

Hope blew a raspberry at Merle showing the lack of interest in his idle threat.

Daryl entered the room he was greeted by the sight of Merle's butt poking out from under the bed.

"What the hell is goin on?" Daryl knelt down next to Merle.

Merle made another grab at Hope. "Dada." Hope giggled she seemed to be overjoyed that both her men had now been drawn into this game.

Daryl whistled at Hope. "C'mon Bug come here."

"No icky Dada."

Daryl looked at Merle. "Go around the other side I'll crawl under the bed and flush her out."

Merle stood up and moved around the other side of the bed. Daryl dropped to his stomach and started to pull his body under the bed towards Hope.

The movement angered Hope. "Nooooo!" She screamed as she crawled from underneath the bed.

Merle grabbed Hope and pulled her up. "Gotcha."

"No, no, nooooooo!" Hope howled and threw her body around in Merle's arms.

Daryl stood up and grabbed Hope's dungarees off the bed. "No not them." Merle yelled over Hope's howling. "The flowery dress."

Daryl squinted. "What the fuck does it matter it's only Beth's birthday party."

Merle grunted as Hope bit down on Merle's arm. "Fuck." Merle growled. "Just put the fuckin dress on." Merle snapped.

Merle had been avoiding Beth since the night in the stable, if he had to be around her Merle made sure it was in a group. Beth wasn't a dumb girl she was incredibly smart she could see what Merle was doing and it had upset her. Merle didn't like seeing Beth upset so he had a plan to make her smile.

Daryl wrestled the dress on to Hope's body the girl kicked and screamed all the way through the process. As soon as the dress was on Merle put Hope on the bed, he looked down at his bleeding arm.

"Damn squirt you went and broke the skin." Merle licked his finger and wiped away the blood from his arm.

Hope sat on the bed grizzling. "No." Hope sniffled.

Merle handed Daryl a small hairbrush. "Put her hair up."

"What the hell, you had a stroke or somethin? Do it yourself." Daryl found Merle's behaviour rather strange they never bothered tying Hope's hair up before.

Merle shoved the hairbrush into Daryl's chest. "I can't do it I only got one hand." Merle sat on the bed he pulled Hope onto his lap. "I'll hold her just do them bunches like Beth does."

Daryl dropped to his knees and took a deep breath he could skin any animal but putting up a girls hair was all new to him.

Daryl picked up a hair band with a little pink now on it. "Okay Bug sit still."

Hope was sucking on her thumb, the little girl still wasn't happy her fathers had managed to place clothes on her body. "No." Hope whined through her thumb she kicked out her legs catching Daryl in the chest.

"Damn it Bug stop it." Daryl wrestled with Hope's unruly curls. "There done."

Merle placed Hope on the floor the small girl stood with her thumb in her mouth. Hope's pretty white party dress was tucked into the back of her diaper, her bunches were lopsided and to top it off Hope had a face like thunder. The little girl stomped her tiny bare feet on the floor and crawled back under the bed.

Daryl sat on the bed next to Merle and looked at him. "I ain't puttin her shoes on."

* * *

It had taken the boys another half an hour to get Hope out from under the bed. They made their way down stairs. The group had all gathered in the kitchen when Hope waddle in with a small bunch of flowers in her hand.

Beth's face lit up as Hope walked towards her. "Oh Hope look at you." Beth bent down to Hope's level. "Are those for me?"

Hope waved the flowers around wildly making a few of the dainty flowers to become decapitated. "Itsa Stinky." Hope moaned.

Beth looked up at the two Dixon men standing in the doorway. "What did you do?"

Daryl shrugged he walked into the room. "We just dressed her." Daryl picked up Hope. The small girl screamed and shoved the handful of flowers in Daryl's face. "Bug." Daryl grumbled. He took the flowers from Hope and handed them to Beth. "Happy Birthday Beth."

Beth took the handful of headless flowers. "Thank you I'll put then in water." Beth placed the flowers on a kitchen counter. "May I hold her?"

Daryl handed Hope to Beth the small girl stopped her whining, she pointed her small pudgy finger at Merle. "No."

Beth kissed Hope on the cheek. "Oh dear have your boys been naughty?" Beth sat down with Hope on her lap.

Hershel smiled at his youngest daughter he was so proud of her. "You know it feels like only yesterday I held you in my arms like that Bethy."

Maggie gave a laugh she rubbed her bump. "Do you remember she used to cry when you put her down?"

Beth was doing her best to ignore Merle's presence in the doorway. "I wish mom was here." Beth replied sorrowfully.

Hershel stretched out his arm and his hand on Beth's shoulder. "Sweetheart your mother would be proud to see you so grown up." Hershel gave Beth's shoulder a squeeze. "You look just like her."

Beth felt a deep sadness birthdays were supposed to be filled with joy and happiness, all she could think about was all the loss and suffering.

Beth faked a smile. "Thank you all for all your wishes and gifts." She stood up and handed Hope back to Daryl. "I'm just going to collect some eggs."

Beth slowly walked out of the kitchen she didn't even grace Merle with a look as she left.

Carol tried to lighten the mood. "You know what we need to have at some point."

"What's that?" Maggie asked.

"A baby shower for you and Lori." Carol smiled. "We could have games and everything."

Daryl frowned. "Good idea you girls do that and us men will celebrate in our own way."

Maggie crossed her arms. "Oh yeah and how's that?"

Daryl smirked. "Avoidin hormonal women and playin cards."

Maggie playfully pouted. "Here was me hoping you'd be our stripper for the night."

Daryl let out a large snort. "No chance." Daryl kissed Hope on her rosy cheek. "Okay bug you be good for Auntie Carol today daddy gotta go on watch."

Daryl handed Hope to Carol and went to collect his crossbow ready for his shift on watch.

* * *

Merle walked around the large wooden fence checking for any weak spots in the structure.

Sophia came running towards Merle at high speed. "Merle can I talk to you."

Merle looked at the girl. "Depends did Daryl send ya?" Daryl had a knack of sending Sophia and Carl to him with any uncomfortable questions.

Sophia shook her head wildly. "No, it's..."

"It ain't about your body or sex?" Merle asked stopping Sophia in mid sentence.

Sophia shook her head again. "No please listen, it's Beth, she's crying."

Merle didn't know why but the thought of Beth crying made his heartache. "Why?"

Sophia shrugged. "I don't know she's in that stables."

"You tell Maggie or her daddy?" Merle didn't know why she had come to him with the information.

"No Maggie's busy with Glenn and Hershel is talking to Lori. I'd tell Daryl but he's on watch and you spend a lot of time with her..."

"Alright." Merle silenced Sophia. "I'll go check in on her you make sure there's no holes in the fence okay."

Sophia grinned she was pleased to have such an important job. "Yes sir."

Merle started the walk towards the stable he stopped halfway and changed his direction. There was something Merle had to do first.

* * *

Beth stood in front of Bluebell's stall crying, the old horse kept nudging at her tear stained face.

"Why you cryin?" Merle's voice made Beth turned she quickly wiped her eyes.

"I...it's..." Beth looked down at the stable floor. "I always though my mother would be here for me."

Merle nodded he stepped forward and held out a bunch of flowers. "For the ones Squirt shook to death."

Beth placed her hand over her mouth and gave a sad smile. "Oh Merle."

Merle smiled. "You believe in heaven right?" Beth nodded. "Then you gotta believe your whole family is in a better place."

Beth took the flowers from Merle. "I'm alone Merle. Maggie has Glenn even daddy and Patricia seem to be growing closer but me I'm alone."

Merle pulled an old rag from his pocket and started to wipe Beth's damp cheeks. "Nah you ain't alone. You got that Jimmy boy."

Beth placed her small delicate hand around Merle's large wrist. "I don't want Jimmy."

Merle looked into Beth's eyes. "You're too young..."

"Nineteen today and if we didn't have that calendar I'd never know my age. Age is an old concept now Merle." Beth let go of Merle's wrist.

"I'm an evil man." Merle replied.

With that one sentence Beth understood. Merle's doubts had nothing to do with age or what he may lose; Merle was the sort of man to fight for what he wanted no matter how the odds were stacked. Merle saw himself as the devil a man who wasn't good to anyone.

"The good man is the man who, no matter how morally unworthy he has been, is moving to become better." Beth looked deep into Merle's beautiful blue eyes. "I believe you're a good man and will become a great one."

Merle gave a snort of disbelief. "Yeah and you're just one person, the others they ain't willing to see what you do."

Beth moved her hand up to Merle's hair she tenderly played with his tiny curls. "It only takes one person to make a difference Merle."

Merle moved his face down towards Beth's face. He didn't know if what he was about to do was wrong or right, he knew only time would tell. Merle kissed Beth. It wasn't like the kiss they shared the other night. This time Merle was sure about what he wanted he wrapped his damaged arm around Beth's waist. Merle's free hand went straight to her butt pulling Beth's body tight to his own and he kissed her passionately. The sound of shouting from outside broke the couple apart.

"Stay here." Merle ordered Beth. "You hear any trouble you hide." Beth nodded.

Merle sprinted out of the stables he ran toward the front gate where Daryl stood on watch. Daryl had his crossbow aimed down at something or someone on the opposite side of the fence. Rick stood beside Daryl trying his hardest to sort out the situation.

"Look we mean you no harm." A familiar voice caught Merle's ears. "We just need some supplies or shelter. We're getting slaughtered out here."

Merle climbed up the ladder and stood up on the platform with his brother and Rick. Merle looked down at the people below him.

"You." Merle replied in complete shock.


	26. Chapter 26

**Thank you for reading and reviewing. **

**Thanks to Brazen Hussy, Lilone1776, Annelisa, Dino-SOAR, kadieliz, FanFicGirl10, Emberka-2012, Pontythings and VanityMayhem.**

**Right now I'm so disappointed. Why kill off Merle? He wasn't given a chance to grow or develop and that's not right. How dare they take away Rooker he was the most perfect thing on that show. The most heart breaking part was not Daryl crying but Merle's zombie eyes, Michael Rooker had the most outstanding eyes I have ever seen and to see them dead was so so so soul shattering. Let's all keep Merle alive by writing loads of fan fiction about him because let's all face it he should have made it to season four.**

* * *

**Chapter 26.**

Rick looked at Merle he seemed surprised by Merle's reaction to the strangers at the gate. Daryl didn't dare take his finger off the trigger of his crossbow. He didn't trust the group below him.

"You know them?" Rick asked watching Merle smirk at the group.

"Well two of the four. Ain't that right Milty, Brownie?" Merle pulled his gun from his waistband. "I say we shot em now, stop them goin back to that bastard Governor."

An African-American man held his hands up. "Please don't. We don't mean you any harm, we're just looking for a place to stay the roamers are everywhere."

Daryl's crossbow twitched in the man's direction. "You with the Governor?"

The man shook his head. "No, my sister and I were traveling when we found Caesar and Milton."

Daryl let his eyes drift across to the girl with him. She must have been in her early twenties if that. Daryl couldn't help but stare at her catlike eyes and full lips. Her curly black hair had been pulled back from her delicate long face and been put up in a frizzy ponytail.

Merle shrugged. "Well get tweddle dee and tweddle dum to take you back to Woodbury." Merle waved his gun towards the woods.

Milton shook his head. "There is no Woodbury." Milton looked down at the ground. "Philip died." Milton said sadly.

"Philip?" Daryl was starting to tire of the conversation.

"The Governor." Martinez added. "Look our car broke down on a side road about a mile from here. We have the remainders of Woodbury's supplies in it. We're willing to give you half for a few days rest."

Rick looked at Merle, the group could do with the supplies but it all sounded too good to be true. "What do you think?"

Merle placed his gun in his waistband. "We need the supplies, we could take one of them go gas up the car bring it back."

Rick glanced down at the group. "If we let them in we can't let them leave." He looked back to Merle. "Not until we're sure that man is dead."

Daryl still hadn't lowered his crossbow. "More mouths to feed."

Rick rubbed his chin he couldn't let people die but he couldn't put his own group in danger. Merle looked at Rick he knew the man was caught between a rock and hard place.

"I'll do what needs to be done for my girl's safety." Merle replied firmly. "You want them taken care of just say the word."

Rick's eyes scanned Merle's face, the redneck may have been a racist, sexist asshole but he was their racist, sexist asshole, and he was willing to do what Rick couldn't. Rick placed his hand on Merle's shoulder trying to silently show his thanks to Merle.

"We let them in." Rick decided. "Then we'll decide what needs to be done." Rick turned his attention back to the group outside. "I'm going to need you to lay any weapons on the ground and place your hands in the air."

Martinez's group did as they were ordered without hesitation.

Daryl lowered his crossbow. "I'll take the girl and get the car."

"Fancy yourself somethin exotic brother?" Merle teased Daryl.

Daryl made his way to the ladder. "Shut up Merle. The girls gonna be easy to take plus it shows trust on both sides."

Merle smirked. His brother was so easy to tease. "How do you figure that then?"

"Their group has to show trust in lettin me take her and we're showin a little trust in lettin her lead me to the damn car." Daryl climbed down to the ground.

Daryl waited for Rick and Merle to join him on the ground before he opened the gate.

As Daryl pulled open the gate Rick and Merle stood with their guns raised at the newcomers. Daryl moved outside and started to gather the discarded weapons.

"Now move in nice and slow." Rick ordered.

The group once again followed Rick's orders. By the time the foursome were inside the gated farm the rest of Rick's group had gathered to see what was happening.

"We taking in more people?" Shane asked bluntly.

Rick holstered his gun. "They're alone and need shelter for a few days. Hershel was kind enough to offer us shelter we should do the same."

Daryl handed the weapons to Rick. "Right I'll take the girl and..."

"Sasha." The young girl sounded offended at being called the girl. "My name is Sasha."

Daryl nodded in apology. "I'll take Sasha and bring back the car."

"No you're not taking my sister anywhere I'll go, I can..."

"Tyreese." Sasha silenced her brother. "Its fine I can take care of myself."

Merle ran his tongue over his teeth his eyes were locked on Martinez and Milton. "Your sister will be fine with my brother. Now why don't you go sit down somewhere while I talk to these two?" Merle smirked evilly. "Lots I wanna know and I'm willin to do whatever it takes to make them talk."

* * *

Daryl looked up at the trees as he walked along the roadside. The once dead looking trees were now slowly coming back to life. It was a sign that winter was well and truly behind them. Sasha had offered to carry the gas can so Daryl's hands were free to use his crossbow.

"So you spend all winter out in the open?" Daryl looked across at Sasha.

"Yeah, we had a group until a herd ripped our camp apart." Sasha's almond shaped eyes examined Daryl's face. "We really don't mean any harm."

Daryl pulled his crossbow off his shoulder he raised it up and took aim at an oncoming walker.

"Yeah well if you did you wouldn't tell us would ya. So how did you meet the other two?" Daryl wanted to get to the truth; he wasn't going to let anyone he didn't trust around his baby.

Sasha placed the heavy gas can in her other hand. "We ran into them a few months back, Tyreese and I got trapped in an abandoned house and Caesar saved us. They're good people."

Daryl snorted. "They kept my girl from me and tried to kill us."

Sasha looked surprised by the news. "I didn't know. Caesar said their town was attacked by looters and when their leader died the town's people panicked and fled."

"So why did they leave if the town was so safe?" Something didn't sit right with Daryl.

Sasha shrugged. "Caesar said two people couldn't run the town and it fell into disrepair. Roamers broke in and flooded the town." Sasha wanted to change the subject. She smiled. "You have a child?"

Daryl whole face lit up with joy. "Yeah her name's Hope, I'm pretty sure she's gonna be the death of me though."

"Whys that?" Sasha enjoyed hearing news about happy things. She thought she would never see another child again in this hellhole.

Daryl chuckled. "She's the biggest monster you'll ever meet. If you ain't payin attention to her she ain't happy."

Sasha stopped and nodded towards a Jeep siting on the side of the road. "That's it."

Daryl approached the Jeep with his crossbow raised, he wasn't sure if he was about to walk into a trap. Sasha placed the gas can on the ground; she started to fill up the empty tank.

Daryl quickly searched the Jeep making sure there wasn't anyone stowed away in the vehicle.

Sasha stood up and waited for Daryl to finish his search. All he found was two large bags filled with weapons and ammunition.

"You done?" Sasha asked.

Daryl nodded. "You drive and no funny business."

Sasha rolled her eyes and got in the driver's side of the car. "What's it going to take for you to trust us?"

Daryl climbed in the Jeep and closed the door. "A lot more than this."

Sasha gave a sigh and drove off. At least they had a place to stay for a while.

* * *

Milton, Tyreese and Martinez had been placed in the barn whilst the group argued over what they should do with the newcomers.

Milton paced the barn he looked down at Martinez who was sitting on the floor his back pressed against a large beam.

"We should have just left when we saw it was Merle." Milton stopped pacing just long enough to clean his glasses.

Tyreese looked at both men. "So what's the deal with this Merle?" Tyreese had only been with the men for a few months but they had seemed like good men. If it wasn't for Martinez both he and Sasha would have died, whatever they did couldn't have been that bad.

Martinez gave a long sigh he didn't want to dwell on the past all he was doing was trying to survive. "Merle's baby girl is the Governor's niece. The Governor took Hope in then used her to control Merle."

Tyreese looked sickened by the new news. "That's sick man. So what happened?"

Martinez ran his hand through his hair. "This chick from Woodbury helped Merle escape but not before he stabbed the Governor and took out two guards."

"Rowan." Milton said quickly. "Rowan will help us."

The barn door opened and Merle stepped in he closed the door behind him.

"So you ready to talk huh?" Merle's eyes looked wild and dangerous; he was ready to give the men what they deserved. Milton stood back and Martinez got to his feet. "You wanna tell me why you think you can come knockin on my front door, eat my food and ask to stay in my house?"

Tyreese stuck to the shadows he thought it would be safer to stay silent.

Martinez walked forward. "Look Merle we don't want any trouble we were just surviving."

Milton thought he was helping matters when he added. "Can we talk to Rowan?"

Merle's wild eyes turned sad and cold. "She...she didn't make it." Anger started to take over the sadness. "That fuckin prick made sure she didn't."

It was a small sad whine from Milton that broke Merle's anger. "She died." Milton bowed his head. "She was a good woman."

Martinez nodded. "She was, look Merle the Governor is dead and we just need a little help." Martinez looked a Merle with large begging eyes. "Please." Merle turned and walked out of the barn he needed to gather his thoughts, Rowan's name had thrown him slightly.

Merle stood outside looking at the large barn door his mind was racing. Merle had always wanted to destroy Woodbury and everyone in it and here he was with the last two remaining citizens in his barn. Merle's hand reached for his gun in his waistband he was going to do it, he was going to kill Martinez and Milton.

"Don't let your anger win Merle." Merle turned to see Beth carrying a tray of food and water.

"What?" Merle looked at the girl's soft gentle face.

Beth placed the tray on that floor. She placed her hand gently on Merle's rough cheek. "You say you think you're a monster but you're only a monster if you let the beast inside you win."

Merle frowned. "They deserve it."

Beth stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek tenderly. "Perhaps they deserve a second chance." Beth looked around making sure they were alone, Beth kissed Merle. "You got one."

Merle grunted. "I got more than one." Merle placed his forehead on Beth's he played with one of her loose curls. "Fine Peach, but I'm gonna be watchin them like a damn hawk, they ain't staying in the house and you stay away from them you hear."

Beth smiled. "That sounds fair enough, now Hope is screaming for her Mine."

Merle picked up the tray off the floor. "I'll give them this and be right there."

Beth watched Merle enter the barn and started to walk back towards the house. Beth ran her fingers softly over her lips and smiled, she didn't care what anybody said Merle Dixon was a good man, he was her man.

* * *

When Daryl returned to the house the whole group were gathered in the living room deciding on what should be done about the four people now occupying the barn.

Hope was sitting on Merle's lap trying to feed her father the teething biscuit she had just been chewing on.

Merle gave in and took a bite out of the biscuit. Hope pulled it away and examined the teeth mark in her tasty treat; she looked up at Merle with a scowl on her face.

"No Mine." Hope hugged the biscuit right to her chest.

Daryl sat next to Merle he rubbed Hope's arm. "So what we doin with them?"

Rick looked around the group. "They stay but they camp outside, they're not having any weapons until we know we can trust them. They don't leave the grounds at all."

Daryl nodded. "What if they try to escape?"

Merle looked at his brother. "Then little D we shot them dead."

Rick nodded. "Then it's settled tomorrow I'll give them camping supplies and lay down the law."

Hershel stood up from the chair he had been sitting in. "Rick let me just remind you, this new group's actions reflect on you and your group and if anything should happen then you'll be thrown off the farm." Hershel looked sternly at Rick. "And that's something I would hate to see happen with Lori being so close to giving birth."

Rick looked Hershel dead in the eye. "So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying make sure you make the right choice." Hershel kissed Maggie and Beth on the cheek. "Goodnight all."

One by one the group left the living room and made their way to bed until only Merle and Rick were left.

"You want something?" Rick asked.

Merle stood up with a sleeping Hope in his arms. "If somethin goes wrong, if they make one wrong move I'll put a bullet in their heads ain't no one gonna put my girl in danger."

The men stood silently for a few moments.

"Goodnight Merle." Rick walked away from Merle and made his way upstairs.

Merle rocked Hope in his arms he had fought so hard for his baby he wasn't going to lose her now.


	27. Chapter 27

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to VanityMayhem, Lilone1776, Emberka-2012, Brazen Hussy, Guest, Pontythings, FanFicGirl10, Annelisa, and piratejessieswaby.**

* * *

**Chapter 27.**

The new group had been occupying the old camp where Rick's group had once stayed. Since they weren't permitted to leave the farm Daryl and Merle found themselves hunting more than usual. Daryl didn't seem to mind he got on well with the new group, he was cautious of Martinez and Milton but Tyreese and Sasha were hardworking people and seemed honest enough. Merle on the other hand was not pleased at all by the extra workload, between hunting and Hope he wasn't getting any private time with Beth. If Beth had Hope Daryl was usually there unwittingly cock blocking Merle and if Beth was alone then Merle was out hunting.

Merle and Daryl had just caught a large buck; there was plenty of meat to keep the group fed for a couple of days. The boys carried the deer into the farm and placed it inside the barn ready for gutting.

Daryl wiped sweat from his brow. "We should start gutting." Daryl pulled out his knife and squatted over the dead animal.

Merle leant against the barn door he watched Beth feeding the chickens. As the sunlight hit Beth it gave her the most angelic glow. Jimmy walked over to Beth and handed the young girl a flower, Beth smiled and Merle felt his body fill with jealousy.

"That's it!" Merle snapped.

Daryl seemed surprised by Merle's random outburst. "What's it?"

Merle stood up straight. "I'm fed up of doing all the work; I'm goin to take a trip to Woodbury first thing tomorrow."

Daryl stood up. "The hell you are. What if that psycho's still alive?" Daryl was used to Merle's crazy plans but this one was by far the craziest.

Merle snorted. "And what if he ain't we need to know. I wanna spend more time with my girl not less."

Daryl sighed gently. Merle wasn't going to back down anytime soon. "I'll come with you."

Merle shook his head. "No way, one of us needs to be here for Hope."

Daryl gritted his teeth as he tried to keep his anger from rising, Merle could be a stubborn ass sometimes. "You need someone to cover your ass Merle."

"I'll take Officer Friendly or someone else." Merle looked down at the deer and then back to Daryl. "You okay to do that on your own?"

Daryl nodded he didn't like Merle's plan, it seemed reckless and stupid but he knew there was no arguing with Merle when he had his mind set on something.

Merle made his way across the yard and towards the house. Lori, Rick and Andrea were all in the kitchen watching Hope play with her shape sorter. The small girl was trying to fit the square brick into the circle hole. Hope was adamant she was going to make it fit one way or another. As soon as she saw Merle she held up the block.

"Mine." Hope was sure if she couldn't get the block in the hole her daddy would.

Merle smiled down at his daughter, he dropped to his knees and gently took the square brick from her.

"Ready squirt." Merle placed the square block in the square hole. "Done."

Hope waved her arms in the air as if she was preforming some form of victory dance; she giggled and bounced on her butt.

"Mine." Hope squealed triumphantly.

Merle stood up taking Hope with him he placed Hope on her high hair.

"I'm goin to Woodbury." Merle stated. "We can't keep this lot locked up forever."

Rick placed his arm around Lori's waist. "I'll go with you we..."

Lori pulled away from Rick. "You can't be serious, I'm close to giving birth and you're willing to risk your life for what?"

"The safety of the group." Rick replied. "If that man's out there then Martinez and Milton are his inside men, we need to know either way."

"I'll go." Andrea stepped forward. "I can shoot and I can take care of myself." Andrea looked at Merle waiting for his decision.

Merle nodded. "'Kay we'll leave tomorrow, we're gonna need weapons and plenty of gas." Merle started to make a mental note of supplies they would need.

Beth entered the room carrying a basket of eggs. Merle noticed the flower that Jimmy had given her lying on top of the fresh eggs.

Beth noticed how quiet the room had become. "What's wrong?"

"I'm gonna go to Woodbury tomorrow see if what Brownie and Milty says is true."

Beth felt her hand start to shake; if this was some sort of trap she could lose her Merle. "You can't go alone."

"I'm takin Blondie." Merle replied.

Beth felt jealous. Andrea was everything she wasn't. Beth couldn't take care of herself like Andrea could. Andrea was tough and smart; Andrea could survive on her own if she needed to. Beth needed protection, she needed Merle. Andrea seemed a better fit for Merle and Beth knew it.

"What about Hope." Beth hoped the mention of his little girl would change Merle's mind.

Merle picked up Hope's bowl and started to prepare her lunch. "I'll be back before nightfall." Merle looked over at Beth their eyes connected; a silent promise was given in the tender look. "Just make sure I got dinner waitin for me."

Beth smiled fighting away the tears she hoped no one would notice her upset. "I will."

Merle turned all his attention to Hope the little girl was staring at Lori's baby bump.

"What's in there Squirt?" Merle sat down next to Hope he placed her bowl in front of her and picked up the small plastic spoon. "That's a friend for you in there."

Hope pointed to the bump. "Mine?"

Merle smirked. "No I didn't do that." Merle's smirk broadened as he looked at Rick. "Well as far as Officer Friendly knows I didn't."

Rick rolled his eyes. "I think one baby Dixon is enough thank you Merle."

Merle placed a spoonful of food in Hope's mouth. "Hell no I'm intendin to repopulate the world." Merle caught Beth's eye the young woman smiled. "Just gotta find time to do it."

Andrea chuckled. "And a woman."

Merle rubbed his nose on Hope's. "You wanna go for a walk after lunch Squirt?" Hope kicked her legs and took another spoonful of food.

* * *

Daryl was bent over the deer gutting the large animal was a hard job by himself.

"Can I help you with that?" Daryl looked up to see Tyreese standing in the doorway of the barn.

Daryl squinted and blinked as sweat dripped into his eyes. "You ever done this before?"

Tyreese shook his head. "No but I'm willing to learn."

Daryl picked up a spare knife off the ground and handed it to Tyreese, up until now the new group hadn't been given any form of weapons, but Daryl knew at some point they would have to trust the newcomers. Tyreese took the knife and knelt down next to Daryl.

Daryl started to teach Tyreese how to skin and gut the large animal, the man was eager to learn.

Tyreese wiped his bloody hands on a rag. "You ever thought about turning this barn into a house?"

Daryl looked around the large barn. In theory the idea was a good one but there was an issue of supplies, they had used all the spare materials when they built the fence.

"Easier said than done." Daryl muttered.

Tyreese stood up. "We could find the supplies we need if we send out savaging parties and Milton can build a generator so you wouldn't need to rely on the farm generator."

"And Milton told you this did he?" Daryl sounded sceptical.

"All I'm saying is if we get to stay or not, the farm house seems overrun by people and you got more babies coming." Tyreese handed the knife back to Daryl. "Even if you could make a few basic rooms in here it would help."

Daryl placed the knife away and wiped his hands on his pants. "I'll talk to Rick maybe we can find some stuff somewhere." Daryl tilted his head and looked at Tyreese. "You and Sasha could go with me."

Tyreese smiled and nodded he hated being on the outside of the group. He was a good man and just wanted a safe place for him and his sister to live.

* * *

Merle sat by the duck pond with Hope on his lap. He didn't know what tomorrow would hold but he wanted to know that if everything went south Hope's last memory of him would be a good one. Merle also wanted to make sure that if the last thing saw was a barrel of a gun his last dying memory would be of his baby.

Hope grabbed a chunk of bread and shoved it in her mouth. "Hope that's for the ducks not you." Hope offered the bread up to Merle.

Merle smiled he turned Hope to face him. Hope started to ram more bread into her mouth.

"Y'know I've made a hell of a lot of mistakes in my life and hands down you're the best one. There's not a lot I'm proud of but you...proud ain't the word for what you make me, you make me a better man." Merle kissed Hope on her forehead. "I'd take on the world for you and I don't want you to be scared of anythin ever, this is why I gotta do this Hope. I need to give you the life you deserve the life I never had."

Hope looked up at her father; she had a look in her eyes that seemed too old for her age. It was almost as if the small girl understood her father, either that or she could feel Merle's fear and sadness.

Hope buried he face into Merle's shirt. "Mine." Hope grabbed hold of Merle's shirt in her little fists. "No Mine."

Merle wrapped his arms around his girl he watched the sun reflect on the pond. A mother duck swam across the pond followed by a trail of ducklings. Merle smiled at the perfect image.

"Look Squirt ducks." Merle turned Hope to face the ducks. He picked up a chunk of bread and tossed it into the pond the mother duck bobbed under the water for the bread, the ducklings copied their mother.

Hope giggled her magical laugh and pointed at the family. "Baba." Hope squeaked.

Merle rubbed his face against Hope's. "Yeah babies." Merle kissed Hope's cheek and smiled. This was the last thing that Merle would think about whenever his time came to meet the reaper.

* * *

Daryl sat on the bed watching Merle pack weapons into a bag. He was starting to worry about his brother, Merle had been unnaturally quiet. If Merle didn't talk it was usual because he was worried about something.

Merle went to Hope's crib and kissed his sleeping baby.

"You sure you don't want me to come?" Daryl asked.

Merle snorted. "Why so you can try and seduce Blondie." Merle pulled his bag over his shoulder. "I got this."

Merle left the room and made his way to the kitchen. Andrea wasn't in the room yet but Merle hadn't expected her to be it was still early. A small scuffling noise was heard from the pantry.

Merle walked towards the pantry and opened the door. Beth stood in the small room moving tins around.

Merle smiled. "Well morning sweetheart." Beth smiled weakly at Merle. "You okay?"

"Why are you doing this Merle?" Beth spoke softly.

Merle moved into the pantry closing the door behind him. "The new people are dead weight until we know the truth about the Governor. We can't afford to carry anyone, not in this day and age."

"Send someone else." Beth pleaded.

"Peach I know Woodbury I'm the best man for the job." Merle closed the short space between them. "I'll be back." Merle kissed Beth's nose.

"Promise." Beth whispered.

"How's this for a promise." Merle kissed Beth hungrily; he'd missed Beth's gentle touch and soft lips.

Merle's hand moved up Beth's top, he took his time running his hands over her tight stomach, his rough hand made Beth giggle as he reached her breast. Merle fondled Beth gently overtop of her bra. Beth's giggle turned into a light moan of pleasure.

Merle pulled away from Beth. At first she thought he was showing reluctance to go any further than kissing, but as soon as Beth saw Merle's lust filled eyes she knew he wasn't backing out.

"Take off your top." Merle growled huskily his voice mirrored the lust in his eyes.

Beth nodded slowly she started to unbutton her white shirt. Merle's desire grew with each button. Beth shrugged off her shirt revealing a light blue lace bra.

Merle gave a deep growl of satisfaction. "Did I ever tell ya blue's my favourite colour?" Beth blushed. "You gonna take it off for Merle?"

Beth felt nerves hit her; she was now out of her depth. Beth and Jimmy had never gone this far, she had let Jimmy touch her breast but he had never seen her naked before. Beth's trembling hands reached around her back to unclasp her bra, her mind filled with doubt. Merle had many lovers before her, what if he laughed at her inexperience.

Beth held the unhooked bra close to her chest. Merle tilted his head. "You okay Sugar?" Merle rubbed Beth's cheek. "You don't gotta do anythin you don't want."

Beth dropped her bra to the floor. "I want to please you Merle."

Merle took one of Beth's hands and placed it on his crotch, his erection was now strained against his pants. Merle took Beth's other hand and placed it on his chest, she could feel his steadily beating heart.

"Peach you please me in ways I didn't know were possible." Merle kissed Beth again.

Merle's hand made its way to one of her breasts he played with her already hardening nipple. Merle left a trail of fiery kisses down Beth's neck, he took his time with each kiss he loved the taste of her skin. Merle moved his attention to her other breast.

"Don't want the other one to feel left out." Merle said playfully. He took Beth's free breast in his mouth. Beth shuddered as he caressed her breast with his talented tongue.

Merle let his hand drift from Beth's breast to the waistband of her pants. Merle unbuttoned Beth's pants giving him enough room to slip his hand between her pants and panties. Merle gently stroked Beth over the fabric of her underwear.

"Merle." Beth whined his name. "I want more."

Merle nuzzled his face into Beth's neck. "You sure darlin'?"

Beth nodded she slowly pulled her pants and underwear down together. Excitement tingled through her body they could get caught at anytime, people were starting to wake up and the pantry would be one of the first places they would go to.

Merle kissed Beth again, he wasn't about to argue with a woman. Merle placed his finger inside Beth, the blonde threw her head back and her eyes shut. Merle moved his finger skilfully inside her; he placed his damaged arm around her waist as Beth's legs started tremble.

"Oh...Merle." Beth muttered breathlessly.

Beth brought her head forward, her hands wrapped around Merle's neck she kissed him trying to silence her moans of pleasure. Beth whined and moaned into Merle's mouth as his fingers moved rhythmically inside her. Beth felt her legs stiffen and instinctively she pushed against Merle's hand. Beth didn't know this sort of pleasure existed, how could this be a sin? Beth's walls tightened against Merle's fingers and she came.

Beth placed her body tight against Merle's. "You okay darlin?" Merle held Beth against him.

Beth smiled into Merle's broad chest. "Ecstatic." Beth replied.

Merle smiled he handed Beth her bra and shirt, he watched Beth dress herself.

Merle leant against a shelf he couldn't take his eyes of the perfect woman in front of him.

"Look after Hope for me." Merle moved behind Beth he wrapped his arms around her and placed his chin on her shoulder. "Promise me you'll always be there for her."

"I promise." Beth turned her head and kissed Merle softly on the cheek. "I'll always look after the both of you. Now you better go Andrea will be up in a minute."

Merle let go of Beth and made his way to the door.

"Merle." Beth called out making Merle turn to look at her. "Look after yourself."

Merle smiled. "Just have dinner ready for me Peach." Merle disappeared from the room.

Merle walked into the small kitchen. He was doing a final check of his weapons when Milton walked in.

"Uh Merle may we talk." Milton asked nervously.

Merle looked up. "You ain't supposed to be here."

Beth came out of the pantry carrying cans of food she gave Milton a polite nod.

"When you go to Woodbury take a shovel, you'll need it to dig up the Governor." Milton looked sadly at the floor. "He's buried in the town centre you'll see a wooden cross."

Merle let out an aggressive snort. "If that's all you better go now."

Milton left the kitchen as Andrea was entering. "You ready Dixon?"

Merle pulled the bag over his shoulder. "Let's go."

Merle got into the truck he looked at the place he had been calling home. Merle had never seemed to understand what was so wonderful about a home, to Merle home used to be a place of hate and abuse but now Merle understood a home was love and security. Merle loved his home; he started the truck and drove towards the farm gates hoping that Martinez and Milton were telling the truth.


	28. Chapter 28

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Annelisa, piratejessieswaby, Lilone1776, Brazen Hussy, Emberka-2012, FanFicGirl10, VanityMayhem, Micaela Beth Winchester and NYANCAT56.**

**When I started this story I did have an ending in mind but since the death of poor old Merle I sort of don't want to ever end this story. So if it's okay with you lot I'll keep this story going for as long as I'm able. I'm not sure how easy it will be but I'm willing to try if you all don't mind.**

* * *

**Chapter 28.**

Hope Dixon sat in the middle of the farmyard crying. She was crying because her daddy was laughing at and she didn't know why. How could her daddy laugh at her? She had just been attacked by a huge monster that was as big as her Mine and Dada put together. It was a vicious evil thing, she had only wanted to say hello maybe even touch it, but the beast pounced at her and tried to eat her.

"Aww Bug c'mon now it's just a frog." Daryl squatted down with the nasty creature in his hands. He held it out to her.

The little monster croaked in Daryl's hands. Hope sniffled and wiped her nose on her sleeve.

Daryl couldn't help but laugh; he hadn't seen anything like it before. The frog had been minding its own business when Hope spotted it and decided she wanted to play with it. Hope had toddled towards the little guy at full speed. The frog noticed the girl and in its panic managed to hop over Hope's shoulder clipping the little girl's cheek as it past. Hope had looked up at Daryl, her eyes wide in shock. When Daryl started to laugh Hope dropped to the floor as if she'd been shot and started to cry.

The frog now sat sandwiched between Daryl's hands croaking.

"He ain't gonna hurt ya Bug." Daryl held the frog closer to Hope.

Hope slowly put her hand out and touched the frog just as it let out a giant croak. Hope let out a shrill scream.

Daryl sighed and let the frog go. "Fine Bug, you win." Daryl didn't want Hope to be afraid of anything but he knew the more he pushed the frog on her the more she'd dislike it. "Let's go for a walk then."

Daryl pulled Hope to her feet and she was away toddling towards the small campsite.

Milton sat on a large log writing in his notebook when Hope approached. As usual everyone in the area knew the Queen had arrived. Hope pointed at Tyreese and squealed she was thoroughly delighted when the large man smiled and fussed over her. Hope then decided she wanted to have Martinez's attention, she clapped her hands making the man turn around.

"Well hey there button." Martinez squatted down and let Hope grab his finger in her chubby hand.

Daryl's body tensed up as Martinez fussed his daughter. Merle had told Daryl all about the Governor's men Daryl still didn't trust them.

Hope soon got bored of Martinez's undivided attention her little eyes spotted Milton sitting quietly by himself; he hadn't even looked at Hope. Hope didn't like not having everyone's attention. Who did this man think he was, did he not know who Hope was? Hope made her way towards the scientist.

"Ba!" Hope yelled out.

Milton looked up from his book. First he looked at Daryl then his eyes moved to Hope.

"Hello." Once Milton had acknowledged the couple he went back to writing his notes.

Hope was not impresses by the lack of love she was receiving, she made a grab for Milton's notebook.

"Oh, no...please don't do that." Milton looked up at Daryl expecting him to correct Hope's behaviour but he was mistaken.

Daryl didn't see the harm with Hope's inquisitive nature. "She just wants to play."

Hope made another grab for Milton's book. "Itsa mine." She giggled.

Milton stood up holding the book above his head; he had just made it into game for the Dixon girl. "Well this book is full of important research it's not a child's toy."

Hope wrapped her body around Milton's leg she cackled wildly as she tried to climb up his pants. Martinez and Tyreese laughed at the grown man being attack by the small child.

"Come on Milty." Martinez called over to Milton. "Let the kid draw some pictures."

Milton gently shook his leg to try and dislodge the devil child but it was useless.

"Yessssss." Hope crackled as Milton swung his leg back and forth.

"Please get her off." Milton whined.

Daryl rolled his eyes, he whistled loudly. Hope automatically stopped and turned to her father.

"C'mon bug let's go, you can chase a chicken or two before lunch."

Hope stamped her tiny feet in anger she looked at Milton and wiggled her tiny finger.

"Poo." Hope yelled firmly.

Milton looked offended by the girl's word for him. Daryl just shrugged off the comment. "Should have let her have that damn book." Daryl muttered as he led Hope away from the camp.

* * *

Merle drove towards Woodbury he was expecting the worse. The drive so far had been a fairly silent one.

"Do you think it's a trap?" Andrea asked looking over at Merle.

Merle kept his eyes on the road. "Dunno but I don't trust them two."

Andrea went back to looking out the car window she noticed a walker walking slowly on the side of the road, it made a grab for the car as they drove by.

The car approached what used to be Woodbury's gates. The once strong gates were damaged and torn open.

"Well I'll be a son of a..." Merle was silenced as he drove slowly into the old town. The once lively town was now nothing more than a ghost town.

Merle stopped the car both he and Andrea exited the vehicle. Andrea pulled the shovel from the back of the car the eerie silence made her shudder.

"Let's get this over with." Andrea muttered.

The couple darted swiftly towards the town centre. A stray walker was huddled over a rotting corpse. Merle placed his finger on his lips and slunk forward, he grabbed the walker a drove his blade deep into the walkers skull.

"Merle." Andrea hissed. "Here."

Merle jogged over to Andrea she was standing in front of two graves. Each one had a wooden cross at the head of it.

Andrea moved forward and examined the crosses; each one had a name engraved on them. "Penny." Andrea looked at the other cross. "Philip."

Merle held his hand out. "Give me the shovel."

Andrea shook her head. "I'll do it, I'll be faster, watch my back."

Merle didn't argue he wanted to see the Governor's dead body and get back home to his girls.

Andrea started to dig the sound of dirt on metal had caught the attention of Woodbury's new inhabitants. Walkers started to stumble out of the buildings; they sniffed the air and gave low throaty groans.

"Blondie you wanna move quicker?" Merle kept glancing over at the car he had to make sure their path stayed clear.

Andrea felt her shovel hit something. She cleared away the dirt and nearly vomited at the rotting corpse below her.

"Is this him?" Andrea asked as she tried to fight back the vomit.

Merle looked down and smiled. The body may have been partially decomposed, but Merle would know the man no matter how bad he looked. Philip Blake's rotting corpse sat in the grave with a bullet hole in his head.

"Merle, look out!" Andrea screamed.

A walker grabbed Merle's shoulder. Andrea pulled her gun out of her waistband and shot the walker. The bullet nearly grazed the side of Merle's head.

Merle grabbed Andrea's hand and pulled her out of the open grave.

"Move it." Merle yelled as he pulled out his gun shooting any walkers that got in his way.

The couple made their way back to the car. Walkers banged on the bodywork and windows trying to claw their way inside. Merle started the car and sped away. Woodbury belonged to the dead now.

* * *

Daryl had taken Hope egg collecting he had placed a small wicker basket on the ground and placed every egg they found in the basket.

Daryl shooed a chicken off its nest and collected the eggs. "Egg for you Bug."

Hope sat next to the small basket she had taken all the eggs out and put them on the ground.

"Dada." Hope placed the empty basket on her head.

Daryl chuckled. "Oh no, where's my Bug gone?" Daryl looked around as if he was searching for his baby. Hope gave a giggle. "Hmmmm now where could she be?" Hope giggled again.

Daryl knelt down next to Hope he slowly lifted the basket off her head.

"Boo!" Hope yelled.

Daryl laughed and rubbed his nose on hers. "Boo yourself baby girl."

"May I have some eggs?" Daryl looked up from his kneeling position, he saw Sasha standing above him smiling.

Sasha dropped to Hope's level. "May I have an egg or two please Hope?"

Hope placed the basket back over her head and giggled.

Sasha laughed as Hope peeped out from under the wicker basket. Hope's large blue eyes shone with mischief.

"She looks like you." Sasha smiled at Daryl. "Same eyes."

Daryl couldn't contain his joy at being told Hope looked like him, he had thought she was starting to look more like Merle with her wild curls and cheeky grin.

"Dixon eyes." Daryl replied. "Merle and I both got them."

Daryl picked up a couple of eggs off the ground and handed them to Sasha.

"Thank you." Sasha stood up she was about to walk away but instead she turned around. "I actually came here to ask you a favour."

Daryl squinted at Sasha. He had wondered why she had been nice to him. No woman was ever nice to Daryl without wanting something in return.

"What?" Daryl grunted.

"Well it's not for me, it Tyreese he can't shoot and I was wondering if you could teach him?"

Daryl stood up. "What your brother couldn't ask me himself?" Daryl asked snappily.

"He doesn't know I'm asking he's too proud to admit he can't shoot." Sasha squinted back at Daryl she didn't appreciate his attitude. "Look I just want my brother to be safe and I thought I'd ask you because you seem like a nice guy. Maybe I was wrong." Sasha turned around.

Daryl felt bad for being do short with the young woman. "I'll teach him." Daryl said quickly. Sasha turned back around. "I'll teach ya both if you want."

Sasha smiled. "Thank you Daryl." She walked forward and kissed him on the cheek.

Hope wiggled her butt on the ground. "Ooooooooh." It almost sounded like she was teasing her father.

Daryl blushed and rubbed the back of his neck. "It's fine ain't nothin."

"It is." Sasha looked at the ground. "Out of your whole group only you, Hershel and Beth have made an effort with us the others treat us like a threat, it's like we're..."

"Guilty till proven innocent." Daryl finished the sentence. "Others are just worried, we're a tight group and we've been through a lot y'know."

Sasha sighed. "Well thank you." Sasha turned and left Daryl with Hope.

Daryl started picking up the eggs and placing them in the basket. As Daryl placed an egg in Hope would pull it out and put it on the ground.

"What ya doin Bug, you bein a little trouble maker."

Hope looked at Daryl with a wide eyed innocence. "Nooooo."

Daryl chuckled he got to his knees in front of Hope. "Well I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson." Daryl gave a playful growl and started to tickle his daughter.

Hope laughed her arms and legs flew around wildly. Daryl found himself laughing along with his girl.

"Astop." Hope squealed.

Daryl stopped he scooped Hope into his arms and kissed Hope all over her face. "I love you Bug."

Hope patted Daryl's cheek. "Lub ewe."

Daryl felt his heart swell in his chest; there were no words that could describe his feelings. Hope, his little baby girl had just told him she loved him. Daryl swallowed hard and kept telling himself Dixons don't cry.

* * *

It was dark by the time Merle and Andrea arrived home. Glenn had spotted the car lights in the distance and called down to Rick so he could open the gate.

As soon as Merle stepped out of the car Rick bombarded the couple with questions. Merle held up his hand. "Calm down there. He's dead they were tellin the truth." Rick let out an elated sigh. "Thank god at least now we know we can trust them." Merle gave a snort. "I still ain't gonna trust them. As far as they're concerned I'm the reason Woodbury's dead and buried." Merle looked towards the house a light flickered in the kitchen window. "Right I'm goin to bed." Rick nodded and patted Merle on the back. "Thank you."

"Didn't do it for you I did it for my daughter." Merle walked towards the farmhouse, there wasn't anything he wouldn't do for his Hope.


	29. Chapter 29

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to Dino-SOAR, Annelisa, Pontythings, piratejessieswaby, Emberka-2012, FanFicGirl10, BeingLolaStar, Micaela Beth Winchester, NYANCAT56, Brazen Hussy and SpriteCokeFanta.**

* * *

Chapter 29.

The news of the Governor's death earned the new group a place in Rick's family. There were still a few members who didn't trust the newcomers, but they kept the peace for the sake of the group.

The ever growing family now had another problem, living space. The farmhouse was too small to house the people who already lived in there; adding more people to the already overcrowded house wasn't going to work.

Milton sat in the dining room with Hershel by his side; both men were working on the idea of a new generator. Milton had designed a generator for Woodbury that powered the whole town.

"We could just dismantle the old generator." Milton tapped his pen against the paperwork that sat on wooden dining table.

Hershel sighed. He was starting to think life would have been simpler if he had never let Rick's group stay, but then again he enjoyed how alive the farm seemed in such a dead world. "Is that the only way?"

Milton nodded. "I'm afraid so, all the materials I would need are scares now."

Beth entered the room with Hope in her arms. "Daddy, can you look after Hope for me?" She placed Hope on the floor the small girl started to slowly toddle towards Milton.

"Up." Hope demanded.

Milton cleared his throat. "No up, I'm busy."

Hope didn't like the word no, unless she was the one saying it. "Up, peas." Hope placed her hand on Milton's knee and tried to pull herself up.

Hershel chuckled. "Seems you've made a friend Milton." Hershel turned to face Beth. "Of course I'll keep an eye on Hope."

Beth kissed her father on the cheek. "Thank you daddy." She left the room almost skipping.

Hope whined and fussed as she tried harder to get on Milton's lap. "Up, up." She begged.

Milton finally gave in, but rather than placing Hope on his lap, Milton picked up Hope and passed the little girl to Hershel. Hope's eyes grew wide as she saw the paper. She made a grab for it only to be stopped by Milton.

"Oh no, that's not for playing with." Milton pulled the paper from Hope's grasp. "This is very important grown up work."

The house door flew open and Glenn came running in, his whole body was covered in sweat. "Maggie." He gasped.

Hershel quickly placed Hope on Milton's lap. "Is it the baby?" Hershel asked whilst standing quickly. Maggie wasn't due yet, the idea of the baby arriving early was terrifying for the farmer.

"She's in pain...by the RV." Glenn tried to catch his breath.

Hershel grabbed his medical bag, he looked at Milton. "Watch Hope I'll be back."

Milton wanted to protest but he wasn't quick enough. Hershel and Glenn ran from the house. Milton looked down at Hope just as she looked up at him. Hope's eyes became overly large and her lip started to tremble, the little girl started to cry.

Milton felt uncomfortable with the crying baby; he'd never been a lover of children. "Trust me I want to cry to." He sighed at Hope.

* * *

Beth found herself laying on her back in the hayloft. Merle was positioned between her legs; he had already stripped the pretty blonde of her top. Merle had decided since he was shirtless then it was only fair Beth removed hers.

Rough lips worked their way around her delicate neck whilst a rough calloused hand caressed her body. Beth gave a whimper of pleasure. Never in a million years would she have thought she'd end up with a man like Merle Dixon. He was the sort of man young girls were warned about and yet he was so much more.

"Merle." Beth squirmed underneath his large mass.

"Mmmm." Merle hummed into Beth's neck.

Beth didn't know how to word her question without showing her inexperience. "May I touch you?" Merle stopped kissing Beth's neck; he pulled his head up to look at her.

Beth held her breath, she was sure he was going to laugh at her and make fun of her inexperience. Instead Merle got to his knees; he looked down at the beautiful woman beneath him. Why would she want to touch him in anyway?

"You sure?" Merle asked slowly.

Beth shuffled onto her knees. She kissed Merle softly, her hands travelled down to his pants. "Yes, I love you Merle."

Merle felt his body tense a little as Beth undid his pants. What if he scared her, or worse what if he couldn't control himself when she held him in her hands?

Beth slowly pushed Merle's pants down; her hand trembled as it touched the waistband of his boxers. Beth took a deep breath and swallowed. What if she panicked and changed her mind, what if she couldn't do it properly and Merle laughed at her?

Beth took one final breath and pushed down Merle's boxers freeing his manhood from its cage. Beth's eyes grew wide. She had seen pictures in books, but all the books and television couldn't prepare her for coming face to face with Merle's huge throbbing erection.

"It's big." Beth whispered.

"You don't have to do anything you don't want." Merle looked down at Beth as she stared at him.

"I want to...but I don't know how." Beth was expecting a burst of laughter from Merle but she was surprised. Merle placed Beth's hands on his erection and slowly moved them. Once Beth found her rhythm he let go of her hands. Merle gave a groan of pleasure.

"Atta girl." Merle groaned as he bucked a little in Beth's hand. A few more soft firm strokes from Beth and Merle released himself into her hand. His body slumped forward onto Beth's; he rested his head on her shoulder.

"Did I...was it..." Beth didn't know how to ask if she had preformed well.

Merle kissed Beth's face, his stubble made her giggle. "That was amazin'." Merle pulled up his boxers and pants. He placed his hand into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. "Gimme your hands."

Beth held out her hands, she had only just noticed the sticky substance in her palm. Merle cleaned Beth up with the handkerchief.

"Beth! Beth, you in here?" Jimmy could be heard in the barn below.

Merle looked down at the man, his mouth twisted into a snarl. He hated the way Jimmy ran around after Beth, she was his girl not Jimmy's. Beth quickly pulled on her top; she placed a soft quick kiss on Merle's cheek and made her way down the ladder.

"Jimmy." Beth smiled. "What's wrong?"

Jimmy looked up towards the hayloft; Merle pushed his body into the shadows to avoid being seen. "What were you doing up there?" Jimmy squinted up at the hayloft. He was sure something moved up there.

"Just taking sometime to myself, it's the quietest place around here." Beth replied.

Jimmy looked back at Beth. He gave her a small playfully grin. Merle wanted to smack the smile of the boy's face.

"You know I could help you relax." Jimmy placed his hand on Beth's arm.

Merle clenched his jaw tightly. It took all of his strength not to climb down there and administer an ass whooping.

Beth pulled away from Jimmy. "Why did you want me?" She asked politely.

Jimmy frowned. Beth used to chase Jimmy around the farm and now she barely spoke to him. "It's Maggie; I think she's gone into labour."

Beth's hands flew up to her mouth. "But it's too early. Where is she?"

"In the RV." Jimmy replied.

Merle watched as Beth ran from the barn with Jimmy hot on her heels. He wanted to hold Beth and take away all her fear. "Fuckin' pussy." Merle muttered to himself. Merle knew if he felt this way about Beth there was only one thing to do.

* * *

Daryl had left most of the group back at the RV. With everyone outside worrying about Maggie he wondered who was inside with Hope. He hadn't seen Merle, so Daryl assumed his brother was on babysitting duty.

When Daryl entered the house he found Milton sitting on the floor opposite Hope with cards in his hands.

Milton held up one of the large laminated cards. It had the letter T on it, with a picture of a triangle next to the T.

"This is a T, T is for triangle. Can you say triangle?" Milton asked. He watched Hope smile and clap her hands.

"No." Hope pointed at the card.

Milton gave a small sigh. He flipped to the next card. "This is U, U is for umbrella. Can you say umbrella?"

"Whats goin on here?" Daryl strutted into the room.

Hope threw her arms in the air. "Dada." She yelled excitedly.

Milton shuffled his cards around. "I'm trying to teach Hope her alphabet."

Daryl picked up Hope; she pointed down to Milton and started babbling at high speed. "You know she don't know her alphabet yet." Hope pulled on Daryl's shaggy sideburns.

Milton tidied up his cards. "I know that's why I'm teaching her. It's never too early to learn." Milton looked up at Daryl. "How's Maggie?"

"Dunno I decided to leave, I didn't want to overcrowd her. You seen Merle?"

Milton shook his head. "No I just got left with Hope." He placed the letter cards back in their beat up box. "She looks very well."

Daryl squinted down at the man on the floor; he took that comment as some sort of insult. "Why, 'cause Merle and I can't look after a baby?"

"Not at all, I just meant when I first met Hope she didn't seem so happy...I mean she was happy enough with Philip, but when Merle came along she seemed ecstatic." Milton cleared his throat. "I know it sounds stupid, you two only had her for a few months and she was so young. She wouldn't even remember both of you, but...I believe she did."

Daryl smiled. "It ain't stupid. It's 'cause we're blood and you never forget your blood, no matter what."

The front door opened an embarrassed looking Maggie was led into the house by Hershel and Glenn. Hershel took Maggie upstairs. Glenn smiled with relief. "Braxton Hicks." He said.

"What did you call me?" Daryl asked.

Milton stood up. "False labour, it's very common."

Glenn placed one foot on the bottom step, he looked over at Daryl. "Rick wants to see you." Glenn started to climb the stairs.

Daryl handed Hope to Milton. "Look after Hope."

Daryl left and once again Milton and Hope were by themselves. This time Hope didn't cry, she just gave a large pout. "No." She whined.

Milton sighed. "Well I don't like it either, but whilst we're here lets start you on math. I'm sure I saw some number cards around here somewhere."

"Chuck." Hope moaned.

Milton shook his head. "You can master swear words, but the word cat is still a mystery to you."

"Ussy." Hope chirped.

Milton sighed. "I guess its close enough."

* * *

Beth had been pegging out the washing when Merle approached her. He looked like he had something on his mind.

"Peach, I need to talk to you." Merle was trying to put together the words he wanted in his head. He didn't want to get them wrong.

Beth felt nauseous. Maggie had once told her that _"we need to talk"_ only meant one thing.

"Are you leaving me, is it because I didn't touch you properly? I'll try harder I promise, please give me another chance." Beth's words spewed out of her mouth like lava. She hadn't given Merle any gap to respond.

Merle blinked, he was stunned by the young woman's outburst. "Don't be stupid."

"Don't call me stupid." Beth squeaked back. She tried to hold in her tears. "I'm not stupid." Beth started to cry.

Merle felt out of his depth. He felt like he was drowning and there wasn't a life raft in sight.

"C'mon now, Stop that." Merle must have said the words too sternly because Beth started to cry harder. "I only wanted to tell ya, I want to tell your daddy 'bout us."

Beth gave a cute little hiccup through her tears. She stopped crying and looked a Merle. "What?"

Merle took a deep breath; he'd gone over this conversation in his head a hundred times. "I want to tell your daddy 'bout us, make it official."

Beth smiled. "What about all the things you said, what about losing Hope?"

Merle ran his hand over his jaw. "I ain't ever losin' Squirt again, but you're mine and people need to know that."

Beth knew Merle meant Jimmy. Whenever Jimmy went near her Merle would always find an excuse to butt in to the conversation.

"Let me talk to him." Beth moved towards Merle, she placed her hand on his arm. "It will be better coming from me."

Merle shook his head. "This is somethin' I gotta do."

Beth kissed Merle's cheek. "Then we will do it together."

* * *

When Daryl found Rick both he and Tyreese were deep in conversation. Both men were looking over an old map.

"You wanted me?" Daryl asked.

Rick nodded. "Yeah, if we're going to convert the barn into a living area then we need to get materials."

"We used all our on the fence." Daryl replied.

"I know that's why you, me and Tyreese are going to go out on a supply run tomorrow." Rick looked down at the map. "It may mean that we'll be gone for a few days, since we've exhausted all the supplies for miles around."

Daryl wiped his nose on the back of his hand. "Sounds good to me. Three men gonna be enough?"

Rick started to put the map away. "I don't want to leave this place short handed. Shane can run things whilst I'm gone."

Daryl didn't like the idea of leaving Shane in charge; the man was a hothead who acted first. It would be just like leaving Merle in charge, but it wasn't up to Daryl, Rick was the group leader.

/

After another noisy dinner Merle had made his way to the gate for watch duty with Andrea. Beth had convinced him to wait until the time was right to talk with Hershel. Merle's watch shift meant Daryl got to spend the night alone with Hope.

Daryl liked his time alone with the little girl. Hope was sitting on the double bed in her pyjamas playing with her stuffed dog. "Hey Bug what's Rolo doin?" Daryl sat down next to his girl.

Hope placed the toy dog on Daryl's lap. "No, no." Hope wiggled her finger at the dog. "No, no."

Daryl picked up Rolo; he wiggled the dog above Hope's head. "He a naughty puppy?"

"M-m-m." Hope answered. She tried to grab the toy above her.

There was a small knock making both Dixon's stop and look towards the door.

"Who's that Bug?" Daryl whispered. "Come in." He called out.

Sasha entered the room. Hope pointed at the young woman. "Oooooh."

"Sorry to disturb you." Sasha crossed her arms. "I just heard that you, Ty and Rick were leaving tomorrow." Daryl didn't say anything he just nodded. "Will you look after Tyreese, he's all I have."

"Sure I will." Daryl's response earned him a kiss on the cheek from Sasha. Daryl flinched as she got close to him.

"Thank you Daryl, and don't worry I'll help keep an eye on Hope."

Hope crawled onto Daryl's lap. She placed her hand on Daryl's cheek; it was the exact spot Sasha had kissed. "No." Hope patted Daryl's cheek.

Daryl stood up taking Hope with him. "I think we need all the eyes we can get on my little Bug." Daryl rocked Hope in his arms.

Sasha ruffled Hope's fine hair. "Is that right Hope. Are you a trouble maker?"

"A no." Hope buried her face into Daryl's chest.

Daryl kissed the top of Hope's head. "It's gettin late I better get her to sleep."

"Okay and Daryl, thank you again." Sasha left the room smiling to herself.

Daryl yawned. "Bedtime Bug." He placed Hope in her crib and played with her fine curls.

"Noooo." Hope whined as she fought to keep her tiny eyes open.

"Yes baby girl sleep." Daryl picked up a book. "You want a story?" Daryl smiled remembering the first story he read to Hope. "Well I haven't got the tale of the Chupacabra, but I do have Guess How Much I Love You." Daryl looked over at Hope as she whined. "You ain't ever got to guess how much I love you Bug. Okay you ready?"

"No." Hope placed her thumb in her mouth, her other hand played with her hair.

Daryl ignored his girl's attitude and started to read. "Little Nutbrown Hare, who was going to bed, held on tight to Big Nutbrown Hare's very long ears. He wanted to be sure that Big Nutbrown Hare was listening." Hope's eyes flicked open and shut as she tried to keep her focus on her daddy. "Guess how much I love you, he said. Oh, I don't think I could guess that, said Big Nutbrown Hare."

Hope gave a large sleepy sigh. "Lub ewe." She muttered sleepily.

Daryl smiled every time his girl said those words it was like magic to him. "This much, said Little Nutbrown Hare, stretching out his arms as wide as they could go. Big Nutbrown Hare had even longer arms. But I love YOU this much, he said. Hmm, that is a lot, thought Little Nutbrown Hare." Daryl stopped reading as Hope's tiny snores could be heard. He placed the book down and smiled at his daughter in her crib. "I love you to the moon and back Bug." Daryl dipped his head in the crib and kissed his daughter goodnight.


	30. Chapter 30

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to piratejessieswaby, Annelisa, Lilone1776, FanFicGirl10, NYANCAT56, Brazen Hussy, Dino-SOAR, Micaela Beth Winchester, Emberka-2012, jessegdixon and SeverusSnape'sLove**

**Sorry this update has taken so long, but I've not been very well at all. I know this is a terrible excuse but with illness and other problems, I've been out of sorts. I know this isn't the best chapter I've done, but I thought I'd present my loyal reviewers with something, because if I wait until I'm 100% I fear we will be waiting until the cows come home for an update. I'm very sorry in advance.**

* * *

**Chapter 30.**

Merle stood with Daryl at the front gate. He held Hope in his arms; the small girl was transfixed by a butterfly that danced in front of her face. Daryl had been loading one of the group's cars with supplies for the journey.

"I don't like it." Merle grumbled. "It don't sit right with me, havin you out on the front line like this." Merle knew his place was by his brother's side. He didn't trust anyone else to protect Daryl.

Daryl placed his crossbow in the car. "We ain't got a choice; we need to go further afield if we want supplies. And we need more supplies."

Hope made a grab for the butterfly, the insect darted away from her hand. It fluttered just out of arms reach teasing the little girl.

"Then I should come with ya." Merle said firmly.

Daryl shook his head. "What happened to the rule only one of us goes? What happens if we're both out there and we both die...What happens to Hope then?"

Merle gave a large huff. The sudden burst of air sent the butterfly flying through the sky, much to Hope's dismay.

Hope gave a wail; Merle rocked her in his arms. "Well then let me go, you stay."

Daryl looked over his shoulder at Rick. The officer was going over his plan with Shane. "It's easier if I go. Rick, he..." Daryl looked back at Merle. He knew Rick trusted him but he still didn't trust Merle completely.

Merle clenched his jaw tightly. Daryl didn't have to say anything; he knew what his baby brother meant.

"Whatever." Merle huffed in a childlike manner. "I get it, after all I've done, I still ain't part of this group."

"You are." Daryl replied. "It's just that..."

"I still ain't trusted." Merle snapped. "It seems don't matter what I do around her I'll always be seen as the boogeyman."

Hope rammed her finger up one of Merle's nostrils. Merle removed it making Hope whine.

"That ain't true." Daryl knew that a few members of the group still didn't trust Merle, but then Merle could be an asshole on times. "Do you trust everyone here?"

"Why the hell should I?" Merle shifted Hope's weight in his arms the small child was getting bigger by the day.

"Then why should they trust you? It goes both ways." Daryl looked behind him to see Tyreese and Rick approaching. "Pass Bug to me." Merle handed Hope to his brother. Daryl rubbed his nose against Hope's. "I'll be back real soon Bug, ya hear me?" Daryl was thankful that Hope didn't understand everything. He was dreading the day she knew about the dangers outside the farm. Daryl didn't like the thought of Hope worrying about him.

Hope grabbed Daryl's sideburns and pulled down on them.

Rick patted Daryl on back. "You ready?" Daryl nodded, he handed Hope back to his brother. Rick entered the driver's side of the car.

Merle looked at Daryl; the oldest Dixon had a seriousness in his eyes. "You got my back right?"

Daryl looked at his brother. Why was he even asking? Merle knew he always had his back. "Yeah, why?"

Merle shook his head. "No reason stuff just needs sortin out when you get back."

Merle wasn't stupid, he knew the truth about him and Beth would go down like a lead balloon. Merle wasn't going to break the news to Hershel until he was sure he had someone on his side, and if Merle had Daryl, his baby brother could sway Rick, maybe even Glenn. The three could hopefully help smooth things over with the Greene family.

"What stuff?" Daryl asked suspiciously. He didn't like Merle's tone of voice. He didn't need Merle causing trouble whilst he was away.

"Just stuff." Merle replied abruptly.

Daryl felt on edge, he had no idea what was going on with his brother. He didn't want Merle messing up their life on the farm. "'Kay, I'll see you in a few days, take care of Bug."

Merle nodded. "Always do."

Daryl got in the car; he sat up front with Rick. The vehicle drove out of the farm.

Hope's eyes were glued to the cloud of dust. She looked up at Merle with her large blue eyes. "Gone?"

"Yeah squirt, gone but he'll be back." Merle knew Hope didn't really understand but she was a smart kid, she knew more than people gave her credit for, Merle was sure of that. Carol had told him he only had that opinion because Hope was his child. All parents thought their children were gifted, but Merle knew better. His Hope was the smartest, bravest most beautiful baby girl in the world, and anyone who said otherwise would meet his fist face first.

* * *

Daryl had a map spread out across the dash board as Rick drove down the road.

"Savannah seems like a good bet." Daryl folded the map in half. "It's by the coast, if we're lucky we may find a spare boat or somethin."

Tyreese leant forward placing his face between the front seats. "Why would we want a boat?"

Daryl shrugged. "Better to have one and not need it, than to not have one and need it."

Rick chuckled. "Okay Savannah it is."

Daryl checked the map. "There's a railroad outside of the town, we could leave the car there if its safe."

Tyreese pulled on his wooly hat. "Is there such a thing as a safe place?"

Daryl looked at the man in that rear view mirror. "The farms safe."

Tyreese smiled. The farm was a little fortress, it seemed indestructible but things weren't always what they seemed. "Yeah it is."

* * *

Beth, Sasha, Sophia, Hope and Milton were all sitting outside under a large tree. Milton was showing Sophia how to do a leaf rubbing and at the same time teaching her all about photosynthesis. Sasha and Beth sat side by side watching Hope pull up flowers and proudly show them to Milton. If Milton wouldn't praise her and her beautiful squashed flowers, Hope would try and climb onto Milton's lap.

Sasha looked up at the perfect blue sky, the world seemed so peaceful. The fences blocked off all the horrors of the outside world. Sasha could easily believe life was normal again.

Beth handed a small daisy to Hope; the little girl squashed it in her chubby palm. She toddled towards Milton and Sophia.

"Do you miss home?" Beth asked Sasha.

"Sometimes I do. Sometimes I dream that things are normal again and when I wake up, I remember that things will never be normal again." Sasha sighed and looked over at Beth. "At least I have Tyreese. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him."

Beth tilted her head and smiled. She watched Hope try to get Milton's attention. The more Milton ignored her, the more she seemed to try. Hope tried to grab the paper that Sophia was using for her leaf rubbing. Milton shooed the little girl away.

"I don't think I could cope if anything happened to my family either. My daddy says family is everything, and as long as we have each other and our faith we'll be okay." Beth picked up Hope's pink sippy cup. "Hope do you want a drink?" Hope turned away from Milton; she trotted over to Beth and tried to pull the cup out of Beth's hand. "Say please."

Hope dropped down on to her butt. She stared up at the cup filled with delicious milk. "Peas." Hope whined.

Beth handed the plastic cup to Hope. "That's better."

"Don't forget thank you." Milton added.

Hope didn't respond she was too busy drinking to be polite.

"So Hope's daddy is...kinda cute, don't you think?" Sasha couldn't help but find Daryl attractive. Despite his rough exterior Daryl had a good heart, and loyalty and honesty were hard traits to find in this new world.

"Merle?" Beth asked feeling slightly jealous at the thought that someone else may find her Merle attractive.

"What? No, Daryl." Sasha tilted her head and arched her eyebrow. She couldn't imagine anyone finding Merle the caveman attractive. "Do you know if Daryl's with anyone?"

Beth shook her head. "He has no girlfriend."

"What about a special friend?" Sasha glanced over at Milton and Sophia. She didn't particularly want them heating her conversation.

Beth didn't understand Sasha's question. She wasn't sure what a special friend was. "What do you mean?"

Sasha leant closer to Beth. "You know someone he just sleeps with." She whispered.

Beth couldn't believe Sasha had asked her such a thing. Sex was supposed to be a sacred act between two married people who loved each other.

"I don't know." Beth squeaked. She bit her lip and blushed. "Have you ever made love before?"

Sasha nodded. "Yeah I had a boyfriend before the outbreak. We had been going steady for a few years."

Beth looked dumbfounded. Sasha wasn't much older than her, and the young woman seemed to have a great deal more life experience.

Beth's eyes grew wide. "What was it like?" Beth was enjoying having someone of a similar age to talk to. All the other females in the group were so much older than her; Beth saw them more as mother figures than friends.

Sasha seemed surprised by Beth's curiosity. The blonde was such a beauty, and with the way Jimmy followed her around, Sasha just assumed Beth was no longer a virgin.

"You mean you've never..."

Beth blushed and looked down at the ground; she played with the edge of the blanket. "No, never."

"Well the first time hurts a little, but trust me there's nothing like it." Sasha gave a sigh of pleasure. "I'm not a professional or anything, but if you ever need to talk about anything, I'm more than happy to help."

Hope banged her empty cup on the ground. "More." The small girl yelled.

"Please." Both Beth and Milton added.

"Peas." Hope called out.

Sasha got to her feet. "I'll go and get more." She offered. She gently took Hope's cup out of her hands. "More milk for the Queen Bee."

"Say thank you." Milton called over to Hope.

Hope just pulled herself to her feet and waddled over towards him.

"Thank you." Beth tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"No problem." Sasha replied. "I need to stretch my legs."

Beth watched as Hope sat herself down on Sophia's paper, stopping the girl from working. She then held her arms out to Milton and gave him a huge heart melting grin.

"Hiya." Hope used all her charm to get Milton's attention, and it finally worked. Milton picked Hope up and placed her on his lap. He than handed her a pencil and let the little girl scribble on a sheet of paper.

"You're supposed to say thank you." Milton held Hope's paper steady.

"It took us long enough to teach her please." Beth moved to sit beside Milton.

Milton adjusted one of the hair ties in Hope's hair. "That's because she's a Dixon. They lack manners."

"But they have a lot of charm." Beth started to think about Merle.

"And they're as tough as nails." Sophia added. "Only a Dixon can kill a Dixon. Merle told me that once."

The lead in the pencil snapped. "Noooo." Hope moaned as she realised the pencil had given up on her. In her temper Hope threw the pencil and squealed, her face started to turn bright red.

Beth wasn't putting up with the young girls tantrum. "Enough now." She said sternly.

Hope's tantrum became quieter. "No." She moaned.

Sophia sat up. "Here Hope you can have my pencil."

Hope grabbed the pencil from Sophia. "What do we say?" Milton asked the young girl on his lap. Hope stayed silent. "Thank you is what we say."

Jimmy came walking towards the small group. "Hey Beth, can you help me for a second?"

Beth looked up at Jimmy. "What's wrong?"

"The chickens are loose; I want to get them in before Patricia finds out."

Beth looked at Milton. "Can you watch them for a second?"

"Of course I can." Milton replied.

Milton had found himself becoming fond of the children. Sophia seemed so keen to learn, Hope's young mind was like a sponge and Carl, well Carl was a smart young boy who wanted to know how everything worked. The more time Milton spent with the youngest members of the group, the more it became apparent to the scientists they needed a school, and Milton would be happy to be the teacher.

Beth followed Jimmy towards the chicken coop leaving Milton and the girls behind.

Milton placed Hope on the ground. "Sophia, how would you feel about starting lessons?"

Sophia picked up a leaf. She twirled it between her fingers. "Like school?" Sophia had always enjoyed school. It had been a place to escape her abusive father.

"Yes like school." Milton replied.

"I'd like it, but I don't think Carl will. Lori and my mom used to teach us stuff and he didn't like it much."

A gunshot went off somewhere in the farm. Milton's body went into autopilot. He grabbed Hope and stood up pushing Sophia behind him.

"Milton!" Sophia screamed.

Four walkers were moving towards them, boxing the trio against the tree they had been sitting under. Hope was too young to understand the danger she was in. She just thought it was a few friendly people reaching out for a hug, not monsters trying to grab her and tear her limb from limb.

"Shit." Milton muttered under his breath. Milton never carried a weapon with him, he didn't see the need to, but now he was starting to regret it.

Hope threw her hands out towards the closest walker; she wiggled in Milton's arms trying to reach out for the corpse. "Hiya." She squealed.

Sophia grabbed Milton's leg as his back hit the tree.

"What do we do?" Sophia whimpered. More gunshots could be heard.

Before Milton knew what was happening hands came from either side of the tree. One hand wrapped itself around Milton's throat, the other grabbed one of Hope's pigtails.

Milton pulled forward trying to get Hope away from the hand, but the more he pulled forward, the more pressure the dead hand applied to his throat.

"Help!" Sophia screamed trying to let the group know they were in danger.

Hope howled as the gruesome monster tugged on her hair.

The desperate cries were answered as Merle ran forward with Martinez by his side. Merle sliced through the walkers. He didn't want to use his gun and risk a bullet going through a walker and hitting his Hope. Martinez attacked the biter strangling Milton; he smashed his bat straight into the walkers head. "Everyone okay?" He asked as the corpse hit the ground taking a clump of Hope's hair as it fell.

Sophia hugged Martinez, Milton just nodded. Merle took a sobbing Hope from Milton, he held his little girl tightly in his arms. Merle couldn't believe how close he'd come to losing Hope, he felt sick.

Hope stuck her thumb in her mouth. "Fank...ewe." She sniffled to Merle.

Milton rubbed his throat. "What happened?" The farm was secure he didn't understand how the walkers got in.

Merle softly wiped Hope's face. "Dunno, but when I find out who did this they're dead." He looked at Milton. "Where's Beth?" Merle knew Beth had been with Hope, not seeing her made him think the worse.

"She left with Jimmy." Milton looked behind him at the dead walker who had been trying to eat both him and Hope. The walker had a clump of brown curly hair in its hand.

Merle's temper started to bubble inside him. How dare Beth run off with Jimmy? She was supposed to be looking after Hope. He had trusted her to take care of his girl and keep her safe, not run around after other men. "What the hell does she think she was doin? If she was here like she was supposed to be, she could have helped."

Shane, Beth and Dale jogged towards the group. Beth went to examine Hope. Merle pulled Hope closer to his chest and turned his body away from the blonde.

"There was a large hole in the fence." Shane placed his shotgun on his shoulder. "Looks like a few loose boards. The walkers just broke in. Dale's parked the RV in front of it until we can fix it."

Dale adjusted his hat on his head. "Lucky for us Jimmy spotted it. If he wasn't around we would have lost Beth and Lori."

Merle turned to Martinez, his face twisted into an angry snarl. "You were supposed to check the fuckin fence yesterday." Merle wanted up choke the life out of Martinez. He nearly lost Hope because of him.

"I did." Martinez shot back defensively. "It was completely fine."

"You better stay out of my way otherwise I'll knock your head clean off your shoulders." Merle growled through clenched teeth. "And you." Merle turned to Beth. "You wanna chase after that lanky piece of shit. You do it on your own time not when you're supposed to be lookin after my girl."

Hope rubbed the back of her head; she now had a little bald patch. Hope turned her head in Milton's direction. "Fank ewe."

Merle looked down at Hope and then up to Milton. "Guess ol' Milty here is the only one I can trust to watch Squirt. Maybe he should be watchin her from now on." He looked Beth square in her eyes. "Then you can chase Jimbo all ya want Peach."

Beth felt liked she'd been punched in the stomach. She knew Merle was angry, he probably was angry with himself for not being there when Hope needed him. It hurt Beth more to know that Merle could be spiteful enough to take Hope away from her. Beth loved the bones of that little girl and she knew Hope loved her. Having Hope ripped from her burnt Beth's heart, but Merle knew this that's why he was doing it. To hurt her, too punish her for leaving Hope and going with Jimmy.

"I only left for a second. Jimmy needed help with the chickens and..."

"And Jimmy and this farm come before Hope." Merle snarled as he stomped away from the group.

"Merle wait." Beth went to follow Merle.

Martinez grabbed her arm stopping her. "Let him go Hun, he needs to cool down."

Shane roughly placed his hand on Martinez's shoulder, his blunt nails dug into him. "We need to talk about you and this fence." Shane was furious with Martinez; he was seconds away from losing Lori.

Martinez slapped Shane's arm off his shoulder. "I told you, it was fine yesterday."

Shane pushed his body closer to Martinez's. "Yeah well I don't believe you."

"Well that's your damn problem then." Martinez pushed past Shane and started to walk back towards the main gate.

Dale and Milton looked at each other both men were worried that the situation was about to get worse, and without Rick around there wasn't anyone to stop it.

* * *

The car journey was going smoothly until the group came across an overturned Winnebago.

"We're not going to be able to get around it." Rick turned the car off.

Daryl looked at his leader. "It's not far we could walk the rest of it."

Tyreese looked over Daryl's shoulder at the map. "A day's walk if that."

Rick gave a nod. "Then let's move. The more ground we cover before sundown the better." The three men left the car taking all their supplies with them. "We stick to the woods." Rick instructed.

The men entered the woods with Daryl leading the way. Daryl was thankful for the change of pace. During the car ride he found himself thinking about Hope, hoping that his little girl was safe. Since Merle and Hope had returned to the group, Daryl hadn't spent more than one night away from his girl. At least when they were in the woods Daryl knew he had to concentrate on his surroundings, this meant he couldn't keep thinking about Hope.

Daryl looked up at the sky. It would be dark in a couple of hours they needed to find shelter.

Daryl stopped walking and waited for the others to draw level with him. "We need to find a place to stay before dark."

Rick nodded. "Let's do it quickly, we need..."

Daryl held up his hand, he locked eyes with Rick and signalled to a near by tree. Rick nodded he swiftly moved behind the tree as Daryl stalked forward. Tyreese was impressed by how the men worked together; it was like watching a machine.

Rick had his gun drawn; it was more for precaution than anything else. If it was just a walker behind the tree Daryl would use his silent crossbow, but if it was a human threat Rick would have his friend covered.

Daryl moved past Rick with his crossbow raised. A male walker was knelt down over a dead body. Daryl grunted in disgust and released a bolt cracking the walker's skull.

Rick and Tyreese joined Daryl. Tyreese looked down at the dead woman on the floor, that monster had torn out the poor woman's stomach.

"These things make me sick." Tyreese groaned under his breath.

Daryl pulled the dislodged arrow from the walker's brain; he flicked off the excess blood. "Let's keep movin."

The men set of again this time they made their way out of the woods, in hopes of finding a house or small building they could use as resting place.

They were walking across a field when Daryl stopped. He thought he'd seen something in the distance.

"You okay?" Rick squinted in the direction Daryl was staring.

"Just saw something over there." Daryl held his crossbow in his hands; he took a few steps forward.

Tyreese placed his hand above his eyes blocking out the glare from the setting sun. "What was it?"

"Dunno." Daryl replied. A small sparkle caught his attention. "I'll go check it out."

Rick pulled his gun out. "I'll come with you."

"No I'll go if it's somethin or someone dangerous I'll need you two to back me up."

Daryl slowly moved towards the spot where he had seen the glimmer of light moments before. He stood in front of an old broken down car. He looked around and shrugged to himself. Maybe it was the sunlight reflecting off the wing mirror that caught his attention.

Daryl turned he was greeted by a small girl aiming a gun at his head. Daryl looked at the child she must have been about nine; she had blood splattered across her face and wore a baseball cap. The girls red hooded top was capped in dirt and what smelt and looked like walkers blood. The fading sunlight caught the gun in her hand, it glistened in the light.

Daryl didn't know what to do. He couldn't kill a small child. _"Great this is how I'm gonna die."_ Daryl thought to himself. _"Gunned down by a girl. Merle's gonna have a fuckin' field day with this."_

* * *

Beth stood in the stables, she softly smoothed Bluebell's nose. The old horse had been her mothers and in tough times she found the beast comforting.

Beth had been around Merle long enough to know that if she gave him his space, he would calm down and seek her out. Beth could cope with that but she couldn't cope with not having Hope around. Merle had taken food to his room, so he and Hope could eat separately and the Dixon's hadn't been seen since.

The stable doors opened. "You shouldn't let him upset you." Jimmy walked over to Beth's side.

"He hasn't." Beth lied. "He's just protective of Hope...she could have died today." Beth felt tears start to build in her eyes.

Jimmy took hold of Beth's hand. "She's not your baby Beth. Merle is using your feelings for Hope to get what he wants out of you."

Beth pulled her hand away, she took a step backwards. "What do you mean?"

Jimmy sighed. "I know what's happening between you two. I saw him kissing you." Jimmy's voice tinged with anger. "He's disgusting, he's old enough to be your daddy...its sick." Jimmy tilted his head. "I don't blame you Beth. You're young and naive. You want someone to protect you, but I protected you today didn't I?" Jimmy moved closer to Beth. "Let me talk to your daddy. I'll ask for your hand, we can settle down and start a family. That is what you want isn't it?"

A few years ago Beth would have jumped at the chance to become Jimmy's wife, but now she only wanted one thing, Merle.

"No." Beth replied firmly. "I love Merle, daddy will understand."

Jimmy laughed mockingly. "Even if you persuade Hershel, do you really think the likes of Shane and Rick will approve? You're just a child compared to that hillbilly; they'll throw him and his redneck family out."

Beth's cool calm mind suddenly became overrun with emotion. "Merle Dixon is twice the man you are and I'm old enough to do as I please. Let me tell you something Jimmy, if Merle leaves so do I."

Jimmy face was a picture of surprise he'd never seen this fire in Beth before, it was new and different. "Well, I hope he loves you as much as you think he does." Jimmy glared at Beth he grabbed her face forcing eye contact. "I guess we're about to find out."

Jimmy released Beth's face from his vice like grip and slowly walked out of the stable. Beth's blood ran cold, she needed to see Merle she just prayed that he would listen to her.


	31. Chapter 31

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to DarylDixon'sLover, Micaela Beth Winchester, Annelisa, FanFicGirl10, NYANCAT56, Emberka-2012, Brazen Hussy, SeverusSnape'sLove, Runaway Fantasy Princess and Dino-SOAR.**

**I just wanted to thank you all for being so kind in the last chapter. I was so worried about posting it because I wasn't 100% happy with it. So thank you all. **

**NYANCAT56, you have indeed influenced a shed load more Hope/Milton scenes. I adore Milton I always have, and I'm happy to see someone enjoying my little Mope friendship scenes. A lot more Milton Poppins coming your way in the next chapters.**

**Runaway Fantasy Princess, I never thought of the woman to man ratio. Your review made me laugh and I'm thanking you in advance for any hormonal women scenes that sneak their way in. The Dixon boys won't thank you, but I do. It's comedy gold!**

**As usual I own nothing to do with the walking dead or any songs in this chapter.**

* * *

**Chapter 31.**

It hadn't been the first time Daryl Dixon had been staring down the barrel of a gun; he was praying it wouldn't be the last either. It was however the first time Daryl had been held at gunpoint by a little girl.

"Are you...are you...nice?" The small girl asked softly.

Daryl found the question a strange one. If he was a crazy gun toting whack job, he wouldn't announce it to the world. "I'm nice enough." Daryl replied. "Why don't you lower the gun and I can help you."

The small girl started to lower her gun, but seemed to change her mind and raised it again. "How do I know you're not lying? People lie all the time. Lee says..." The girl's sad voice trailed off into a whisper.

Daryl noticed two figures approaching from the corner of his eye. He heard what sounded like Rick and Tyreese's footsteps. Daryl swore under his breath, if the men startled the little girl it would be goodnight for him. The child looked like she had an itchy trigger finger.

"Who's Lee, is he around here?" Daryl moved slowly towards the little girl, he hoped he could gently disarm her.

Before Daryl could reach the girl, the gun hit the ground with a heavy clunk and the girl burst into tears. Daryl froze on the spot, he changed his mind he'd take the bullet instead of the crying girl.

Rick and Tyreese appeared. Daryl gave a sigh of relief; he wouldn't have to deal with a crying girl.

Rick walked forward; he picked up the gun and squatted down to the girl's height. "Are you okay little girl?" He pulled a hanky out of his pocket and started to wipe the tears off her cheeks. "I'm Rick Grimes and these are my friends Daryl and Tyreese."

The girl hiccupped through her tears. She looked around the trio. "I'm...I'm Clementine."

Rick smiled, he held out his hand. "Please to meet you Clementine." The little girl softly shook Rick's hand. "Where's your family?" Rick was concerned. What sort of group would leave a child alone in the open?

Clementine's lip quivered. Daryl held his breath; he didn't want the kid crying again he couldn't cope with it. If the girl cried again he'd run into the closest herd of walkers.

"Gone." Clementine whispered. "Lee told me to find Omid and Christa...but I don't know where they are."

Rick nodded softly; he placed his hand on her shoulder. "Well let's find them for you."

Clementine's face lit up. "Really?"

"Really." Rick replied kindly. He stood up and held his hand out to Clementine.

"Thank you." Clementine whispered. She looked up at Daryl. "Sorry I nearly shot you."

Daryl playfully pushed her cap over her eyes. "We're good, but do it again shorty and you betta pull the trigger." Daryl turned his attention back to Rick. "We best find a place to stay tonight."

Rick looked around him. It would take too long to double back and sleep in the car. "Maybe there's an old farm house or barn we could use." Rick looked down at Clementine. "You okay to walk."

"I'm tired." She answered softly.

Tyreese moved towards them and lifted the little girl on to his shoulders. "Well then, you just save your energy sweetie."

Clementine yawned. "Thank you." She said as she rested her head on top of Tyreese's woollen hat.

Daryl took the lead again. "Let's move."

* * *

Merle lay on the bed; his body was protectively curled around Hope. The little girl had been uncharacteristically clingy and quiet all evening. Merle had fed her and tried to get her to play with her toys, but Hope didn't want to do anything. All she wanted was her daddy to hold her close to him.

It had taken Merle hours to get his princess to sleep. Just as he thought she was in a deep, peaceful sleep, Hope would wake up crying. So when a light knocking came from the door Merle was ready to unleash holy hell on the culprit. He slowly moved his body from around Hope's and slid off the bed. Hope gave a small whimper in her, it was the first time Merle had ever heard Hope make that noise whilst sleeping. His heart ached, he could protect Hope in this world, but he was useless to her in her dreams.

Merle kept his eyes glued on Hope as he made his way to the door. He pulled open the door to see a watery eyed Beth standing in front of him.

"I'm still mad at ya, cryin ain't gonna help you any." Merle didn't like Beth crying, but if he backed down now then she would use it to her advantage every time they had an argument.

"Jimmy knows." Beth squeaked.

Merle's face dropped. "Wha?"

Beth walked into the bedroom. Merle closed the door and followed her in.

"Jimmy knows about us and he's going to tell everyone."

Merle glanced over at Hope; he made sure they hadn't woke the little girl. He looked back to Beth; he noticed red finger marks on her cheeks.

Merle felt his temper flare up. "He do that to you?"

Beth knew whatever she said wasn't going to help the situation. If she told the truth, Merle would probably kill Jimmy; if she lied it would drive a wedge between her and Merle. Beth stayed silent.

"Mine." Hope whined from the bed.

Merle knew Beth's refusal to answer was her trying to save Jimmy. "I'll fuckin kill him." Merle snarled.

Beth grabbed Merle's arm. It was a pointless tasks, her tiny frame was nothing compared to Merle huge one. She found herself being dragged towards the door behind Merle.

"Think of Hope." Beth's fingers gripped Merle's arm tighter.

Merle stopped moving, he looked across at Hope. The little girl was now sat up on the bed; she rubbed her eyes with her tiny hands and whined. Hope's sleepy face burnt through his anger, he needed to be smart for her sake.

Merle looked at Beth hanging from his large arm. "You sure you wanna do this?"

Beth blinked up at Merle her large blue eyes met his. "What do you mean?"

Hope crawled down the bed towards Merle. He picked his girl up. "We can deny it all, end it here." Merle held Hope tight to his chest. The little girl listened to the steady beating of his heart. "Or we come clean, but you need to know somethin Peach. Your daddy and the others may want me off the farm, may not like the age gap." A smirk spread across his face. "They'll say I'm an evil old man for seducing such and innocent angel."

Beth frowned. "I made the choice to be with you, I want to be your woman, Hope's mother. If Daddy throws you out then he loses me to." Beth tilted her head.

Merle's mouth fell open in shock. No one had ever made such a sacrifice for him before. "I won't let ya..."

Beth placed her finger on Merle's lips. "It's my choice; you and the others will just have to deal with it." Hope gave a small whimper. Merle kissed the top of her head. "Pass her to me." Beth took Hope from Merle's arms and sat on the edge of the bed. She slowly rocked Hope and started to sing.

"Baby mine, don't you cry.

Baby mine, dry your eyes.

Rest your head close to my heart,

Never to part, baby of mine." As Beth sang Merle sat next to her on the bed.

"Little one, when you play,

Pay no heed what they say.

Let your eyes sparkle and shine,

Never to tear, baby of mine."

"If they knew all about you,

They'd end up loving you too.

All those same people who scold you,

What they'd give just for the right to hold you." Hope gave a tiny snore, both Merle and Beth smiled at the sleeping girl.

Merle placed his arm around Beth's waist, she rested her head his chest.

"Are we going to be okay?" Beth asked softly.

"Yeah, we are." Merle replied pulling Beth tighter to him. Merle sighed; he'd make sure Hope, Daryl and Beth were safe no matter what happened.

* * *

Rick, Tyreese, Daryl and Clementine had taken shelter in an old farm house. The former tenants had shot themselves in the head, leaving behind an empty house with a kitchen full of food. Daryl and Rick had cleared the dead bodies, leaving Tyreese and Clementine to gather the food.

Tyreese had started to raid the top cupboards, whilst Clementine took the low ones.

"So Clem, what brought you to Savannah?"

Clementine placed a can of beans on the table. "We were supposed to get a boat and sail away...that's what Kenny said."

"So what happened?" Tyreese needed to know more about the abandoned little girl. She looked so much like Sasha when she was a child, Tyreese felt a need to protect her.

Tears welled in Clementine's eyes. "I don't know a man took me from my group. Lee got bit and...and." She sniffed and started to cry. "I had to shoot him."

Tyreese bent down to Clementine, he pulled the little girl into a warm hug. "Shh now, it's okay. We'll find the rest of your group."

"Then can we come live with you?" Clementine sniffled.

Tyreese didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell the child her group were welcome at the farm. It had taken Rick's group long enough to accept them. Luckily for Tyreese Rick and Daryl entered the house, interrupting the conversation.

"Seems safe enough." Daryl placed his crossbow on the kitchen unit, he started to examine the tinned food Tyreese and Clementine had found. Daryl picked up a tin without a label, he smiled down at Clementine. "You wanna play food roulette?"

Clementine scrunched up her nose. "What's that?" Her voice was filled with curiosity for the new game.

Daryl picked up two more unlabelled tins. "It's a game Merle and I used to play. We take each tin without a label on it and that's what we're havin for dinner."

Clementine's eyes grew wide. "But what if one is peaches and the other are peas?"

Daryl smiled. "Then we have a peach and pea stew."

"Ewwwww." Clementine giggled.

Rick chuckled. "I agree with the Eww. Clem we found these for you." Rick handed the young girl a change of clothes, her eyes lit up.

"Thank you. I'm stinky and I don't like it." Clementine looked down at the walker's blood all over her clothes. "Lee says if we smell like them, then they won't attack."

Rick smiled; he had used that very trick back in Atlanta. "That's why they don't attack Daryl very often, he smells like one." Rick replied playfully.

Daryl shook one of the cans close to his ear, trying to discover what was inside. "Don't listen to Rick. I smell like a man."

Clementine giggled and ran off with her clean clothes. Tyreese made sure the girl was well out of earshot. "Clementine asked if she and her group could join us."

Daryl and Rick exchanged glances. "Daryl and I were talking about the likelihood of her group actually being alive."

Daryl pulled out his knife; he started to open one of the tins. "She said Lee told her to find Omid and Christa. That means only two people were still alive. The chances don't look good."

Tyreese slid another can towards Daryl. "Okay but let's say we find them and they all want to come back to the farm. Then what?"

Rick scratched the stubble on his chin. "We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

Rick didn't like the idea of leaving a group defenceless and alone, especially with a child, but he didn't know if he could bring more people into the group. The farm was self sufficient. Hershel had plenty of livestock; the cows gave fresh milk and the chicken fresh eggs. The vegetable patch also gave more than enough food, but every time new people joined the living space became more cramped.

Clementine walked into the room in her clean clothes, she looked up at Daryl and the three open tins in front of him. "So, what are we having?" She moved over to Daryl's side, she stood on her tip toes and tried to look in the cans.

"Soup, creamed corn and clam chowder." Daryl handed a bowl to Clementine. "What do you fancy?"

"Soup please." Clementine answered politely.

"I'll go get the camp stove from the bag." Tyreese offered.

Hershel had given the men a small camping stove to take with them. The old farmer had thought it would be safer and easier to light the small portable stove to cook their food, rather than make, and burn a fire pit.

Clementine stood close to Rick's side, the officer made her feel safe. "Are we going to find Omid and Christa tomorrow?"

Rick placed his hand on Clementine's shoulder. "Of course. Where did you last see them?"

Clementine bit her lip; she looked down at the bowl in her hands. "In Savannah."

"Well we're heading there tomorrow so..."

"No, you can't." Clementine blurted out.

"Why's that?" Rick asked softly. He could see the mention of entering Savannah was distressing to the child.

Clementine's eyes grew wide, a look of fear spread across her face. "Because those things are everywhere, there are millions of them."

Rick and Daryl's face both mirrored the same look of disappointment and dread. They knew scavenging in Savannah wasn't going to be easy, but if the place was overrun with walkers, they had to weigh out the risks and rewards. Neither man was in any position to risk their lives for a few supplies, but on the other hand, if they didn't find supplies then overcrowding would cause its own problems. Arguments were bound to break out if people carried on living on top of each other, they needed more space.

Rick got to his knees; he looked Clementine straight in her deep brown eyes. "Listen, I promise no matter what, we will not leave you behind."

Clementine gave a small half smile and nodded. "Thank you." She whispered.

* * *

There was an uneasiness hanging heavy in air the on the farm the following morning. Merle hadn't let Hope leave his side; his eyes had kept drifting between his daughter and his lover.

Beth was as nervous, as a long tail cat in a room full of rocking chairs. Every time Jimmy would approach Hershel her heart would stop. There was a small part of Beth that hoped Jimmy would blurt out the truth, at least then the suspense would be over.

Hope still wasn't over the trauma of yesterday. The child was quiet and almost sad looking. Breakfast had gone by silently, only Beth, Milton and Sophia got any sort of noise from the child. Merle was at a loss, he didn't know what to do. He had tried everything but Hope just wanted to sit on his lap, in the living room and play with the little bald patch on the back of her head.

Merle gave a grunt; he'd made up his mind. If this was Daryl he would have called him a pussy, and made him confront his fears. He was pretty sure if Hope was a boy, he would have done the same. So Merle was decided, Hope was going to have to nut up. She may have been a baby and a girl, but damn it she was a Dixon and Dixon's weren't weak or cowards.

Merle stood up and carried Hope outside, the baby girl gave a shrill cry when she realised her daddy was taking her back to the tree.

"That's enough now." Hope seemed slightly shocked by her father's strict tone. Merle had never shown any form of strictness towards her before.

Hope's grip tightened on Merle as he approached the tree. "Nooo."

Merle stopped in the exact spot Hope and the others had been cornered. "You see Squirt, ain't notin to be afraid of." Hope whimpered and looked around. "Y'know, your grandpappy was a piece of shit, but he gave me one good bit of advice. Never show your fear, 'cause people will use it against ya." Merle placed Hope on the floor. "Now c'mon stand on your own two feet. You gotta be tough, 'cause one day me and Daryl ain't gonna be around."

Hope stuck her thumb in her mouth she looked around her, she didn't like her Mine's new tough love approach. "Sane." Hope held up her arms as Shane approached.

"Hey Merle, we need to talk." Shane stopped in front of Merle. He placed his hands on his hips.

"'Bout what?" Merle kept his eyes on Hope whilst talking to Shane.

"This fence thing. Martinez didn't check it properly, how the hell can we trust him." Shane hadn't trusted Martinez's group when they first arrived, and nothing had changed since.

As far as Shane was concerned, the four newcomers were outsiders and not to be trusted. Rick had brought the threat into the group, and now they were paying the price. Martinez may not have purposely damaged the fence, but it was his laziness that nearly lost Shane Lori.

Shane knew the only member of the group who'd help him was Merle. Hope had been one of the walker's victims. Shane could see Merle wanted to punish someone for the attack.

Merle watched Hope pull herself to her feet, she looked around warily. She walked over to Merle's leg and grabbed hold of his pant leg. "What do you wanna do?"

Shane folded his arms. "Call him out. Make sure he and the others know there's no room for these sorts of mistakes."

Carl came running towards Shane, the young boy looked like he was on a mission. "Shane can I talk to you?"

"Sure what's up?" Shane smiled down at Carl. The teenager seemed to be growing like a weed.

Carl squinted up at Shane; he looked like he was unsure about what to say next. "It's just that...well, you said Caesar didn't check the fence properly and he did. I was with him."

Shane ran his hands through his hair. If the broken fence wasn't due to bad workmanship that meant someone had deliberately tampered with the structure.

"Are you sure Carl?" Shane placed both his hands on Carl's shoulders. "I mean are you really sure?"

Carl nodded. "Yeah, I was there with him." Carl looked down at the ground; he kicked up some loose dirt. "After we left...I saw Jimmy over by the fence. He said he was looking for eggs from a loose chicken, he..."

Merle scooped up Hope. "That son of a bitch!"

Merle strode towards the farmhouse. He couldn't believe he'd been so blind, of course it was Jimmy. The boy wanted to play hero to Beth, no matter what the cost.

"Merle wait up!" Shane yelled running after him.

Merle didn't stop, his rage increased with each step. For the first time Hope seemed to be enjoying herself, she was bouncing up and down in her daddy's arms giggling. Merle shoved the door open with his body, the wooden door slammed against the wall making the whole room shake. All eyes were now on Merle.

"Merle what the hell?" Maggie stood at the foot of the stairs with Glenn, rubbing her stomach.

"Where's Jimmy?" Merle growled.

Jimmy, Hershel, Dale and Beth entered the room from the kitchen. At the same time Shane and Carl entered the house.

Hershel looked at the three men. "What's going on?"

Merle thrust Hope into Carl's arms. Without warning he launched himself at Jimmy knocking him to the floor.

Jimmy tried to fight back, but Merle was too strong. Punch after punch landed on Jimmy's face. Beth and Maggie screamed for Merle to stop.

"Shane, control him!" Hershel yelled.

Shane half heartedly pulled Merle off Jimmy with Glenn's help.

Jimmy pulled himself to his feet; he pressed his hand against his bleeding nose.

"That bastard damaged the fence." Merle bellowed.

Everyone looked at Jimmy. In that moment of stunned silence Hope decided to knock Carl's hat clean off his head and point at Jimmy. Hershel looked at Jimmy, he had treated the boy like family he felt betrayed. "Jimmy is this true?"

Jimmy wiped blood away from his mouth, he was pretty sure he'd lost some teeth. "I did it for Beth."

Dale placed himself in between Merle and Jimmy, in an attempt to stop anymore fighting. "What do you mean son?"

Jimmy tried his hardest to smirk with his split lip. "That monster has been doing things to Beth, behind our backs."

Both Shane and Glenn moved away from Merle. They both looked disgusted with the man. "It ain't like that and you know it." Merle balled up his fist; he wanted to break Jimmy's body in two.

Hershel looked over at his youngest daughter; she had her hands clamped over her mouth and tears in her eyes. She was looking at Merle in sorrowful way. "Bethy is this true, has this man touched you?"

Beth slowly nodded. "But I wanted it, Daddy I love him."

Hershel turned red, he turned to Merle. "Get off my farm, you disgusting creature." Hershel's voice boomed around the room. "I came to you and told you Beth had feelings for you, you told me nothing would happen. Now I find out you've seduced and sullied my baby girl." He stood in front of Beth. "I want you gone tonight. Hope and Daryl can stay, but you leave."

Beth pushed past Hershel. She stood next to Merle. "If Merle goes, so do I." She stated firmly.

Hershel's face crumpled with sadness. "Bethy, no."

Beth took hold of Merle's hand. "No him, no me."

Carl's attention had been pulled away from the train wreck by Maggie. The woman was bent forward panting heavily. "Are...you okay?" Carl asked.

Maggie lifted her head up. "Daddy, I think I'm having the baby."

Hershel and Glenn rushed to Maggie's side. "Get her into the bedroom." Hershel instructed Glenn. The farmer looked back at Merle. "This is far from over." The old man left the room to tend to his daughter.

Merle looked around at the people left in the room. Each person wore the same judgemental look on their faces. Beth gave his hand a squeeze.

"It will be okay." She promised.

Merle highly doubted that, in a matter of seconds Merle had become the camps monster. Daryl was going to blow a fuse when he returned.

Hope held her arms out towards in the direction of Beth and Merle. She wiggled in Carl's arms. "Meth." She moaned. Merle winced. He loved Hope learning new words, but today was not the day to try and learn Beth's name.

Merle walked over to Carl, he pulled Hope from the young boy's arms, Merle walked upstairs to his room. At least he'd be away from judgmental eyes. He knew it would take less than a few hours for the gossip to spread through the camp, and when it did Merle expect a mob with pitchforks coming to hurl him out of the farm.

Beth went to follow, Shane grabbed her arm. "I don't think that's a good idea Beth."

Beth looked down at Shane's hand wrapped around her arm and pulled away. "I'm an adult and what I do with my body; in my house with my boyfriend is my choice. Not yours, not my father's. Mine." Beth flounced out of the room and climbed the stairs.

Milton entered the house with an armful of books, everyone looked in his direction. Milton looked around; he wasn't sure what was going on. "What?" Milton looked down at Carl's hat on the floor; he then noticed Jimmy's bloody face. "What did I miss?"


	32. Chapter 32

**Thank for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to DarylDixon'sLover, Micaela Beth Winchester, Annelisa, Smittendebs, NYANCAT56, FanFicGirl10, Brazen Hussy, BeingLolaStar, Runaway Fantasy Princess, SpriteCokeFanta, Emberka-2012, Dino-SOAR and SeverusSnape'sLove.**

**I'm glad you all seem to be enjoying Clementine. If any of you have played TWD game, then you'll know how cute and sweet she is, if you haven't I hope I do a good job on writing her and maybe the others. **

**This chapter will include a very small scene of child abuse. Also I don't know if this is a good or bad thing, but this chapter is super long. **

* * *

**Chapter 32. **

Beth gave a light knock on the bedroom door. She didn't wait for an answer, she just entered the room.

Merle was sat on the bed with Hope by his side. He looked exhausted, his body was slumped forward he rested his head in his hand. Hope was looking up at her father. The small girl wasn't sure what was going on.

Beth stood hovering in the door way. Merle didn't bother looking up as he spoke. "Don't think you should be here Peach."

Beth walked across the room. She picked up Hope and sat down, placing the little girl on her lap.

"I'm fed up of people telling me what I should or shouldn't be doing. All my life I've done exactly what I've told. I've never disobeyed my daddy, I've been a good Christian girl, and I've just blindly followed people." Beth pulled Hope tighter to her body. "Then you show up on the farm. The first day you arrived, I was scared. You showed up and started attacking people. You were like a monster. Then you came to Daddy like a man and made this farm safe, you were thoughtful and smart. You took into consideration my fathers view on the walkers. That was the first time I really saw you." Merle raised his head, he looked up at Beth. "Do you remember?" She asked softly.

"You asked to hold Squirt." A small smile started to spread across Merle's face.

Beth nodded. "I still found you terrifying, you called me a darling and then Hope..."

"Started a food fight." Merle sat up straight. "You still terrified of me?"

"Sometimes." Beth replied honestly. Merle looked hurt; he didn't ever want to scare Beth. "When you attacked Jimmy...I didn't think you were going to stop, that scared me."

Merle watched Hope try and pull on Beth's necklace. "I'd never hurt you or Squirt. I ain't ever laid hands on a woman."

Beth placed one of her hands on top of Merle's. "I know, you're not a monster Merle, you just have an explosive temper." Beth gave a soft sigh. "It's who you are, it's part of you. If you changed you wouldn't be my Merle."

"Down." Hope ordered in a stroppy tone.

"Please." Beth replied.

Hope started to wiggle, when she realised Beth wasn't going to put her on the floor she gave a dramatic huff. "Peasssss."

Beth placed Hope on the floor. The small girl pulled herself to her feet and toddled towards the door.

Merle's eyes were glued on Beth. The girl had grown so much since they first met, and not just in age. The girl who wouldn't look him in the eye or say boo to a goose was long gone. Merle put that down to looking after Hope. To look after Princess Dixon you needed a firm tone and nerves of steal, or the little terror would eat you alive.

"When your old man is done me and him need to talk. Man to man." Merle leant forwards, he kissed Beth. This time the kiss was different, it wasn't a hurried stolen moment it was a sure, slow kiss. Beth was now his to protect no matter what, she had made that choice.

The kiss was interrupted by Hope banging her tiny palms on the door. "Meth, Milky."

Merle chuckled; he kissed Beth on her nose. "Guess I better try and teach her your name. Daryl ain't gonna like Squirt calling out for Meth." A mischievous smirk spread across his face. "That's my job."

Hope was becoming impatient. "Milky, Milky!" Her large blue eyes started to fill with tears and her bottom lip trembled. "Peasssss."

Beth stood up; she walked over to Hope and picked her up.

"Leave her here." Merle walked over to Beth. "I want her where I can see her."

Beth didn't argue with him, she just handed the girl back. Beth was about to suggest that Merle and Hope come back downstairs with her, but she knew if Merle saw Jimmy, or if someone pushed his buttons Merle would lose temper again. Beth kissed Merle's cheek.

"Milky!" Hope yelled.

Beth then kissed Hope's forehead. "Okay, I'll get your milk."

Hope threw her head back. "Fank ewe."

Beth left the room. The sounds of Maggie's pained cries could be heard as Beth walked down the stairs.

The kitchen was empty now; all that was left of the fight were a few specks of Jimmy's blood on the tiled floor. Beth stared down at the crimson droplets. Merle had been completely out of control, she had barely recognised him. Beth tried to shake off the image of Merle's rage filled face but she couldn't.

"I'm going to clean that now." Beth turned to see Sasha standing behind her with a mop. "Are you okay? I heard what happened." She scrunched up her nose. "Merle, are you sure? He's kind of..."

Beth huffed. "Why is age a problem, if we didn't have that calendar and Milton, we wouldn't even know what the date was." Milton's excessive note keeping meant the group knew exactly what month they were in, the man was so thorough he even knew what day they were on.

Sasha leant on the mop. "I was going to say a pig. Hell, if the man makes you happy what does it matter?"

Beth smiled. It was nice to have someone on her side. "Where is everybody? Where's..."

Sasha starred to mop the blood away. "Jimmy has been tied up and placed in the barn. The rest of the group are arguing over what to do with him and Merle. Some people want to wait for Rick to return, others think we should throw them both out and the rest think it should be a joint decision."

Beth took Hope's Sippy cup out of the cupboard. "They have no right deciding what happens with Merle. That's up to my Daddy, and if Merle goes so do I."

Sasha stopped mopping, she looked at Beth. "You really do like him, don't you?"

Beth filled the cup with milk. "No, I love him." She faced Sasha and sighed happily. "He treats me like an adult, he's strong and smart. He's a fantastic father and a loyal man."

Sasha could see from the look on Beth's face this was more than puppy love. Beth had fallen for Merle and she'd fallen hard.

"I'm happy for you, if you can find that in this world you need to grab it and never let go." Sasha placed the mop back into the bucket and hugged Beth. "Hey, if you, Merle, Hope and Daryl leave, can Ty and I go?"

Beth pulled away from Sasha. "Do you really think we'll have to leave?" Beth hadn't actually considered the fact that her father may throw them out.

Sasha shrugged. "Who knows?"

Beth bit her lip nervously. Would Hershel be stubborn enough to lose a daughter to get rid of Merle? No, at the end of the day Beth was his baby girl. He wouldn't let her suffer just because he disagreed with her lifestyle choice.

"I better give Hope her milk, she's getting cranky. Thank you Sasha." Beth left the kitchen, she quickly climbed the stairs.

Beth entered the room to see Merle doing push ups with Hope on his back. Hope had a tight grip on Merle's shirt, the small girl cackled like a maniac as Merle's body rose and fell.

Merle winked at Beth as he lowered his body to the floor. "Look Squirt, Peach is back with your milk." Merle laid flat on the floor.

Hope rolled off Merle's back; she pulled herself to her feet and walked around to Merle's face. Hope placed her hands on her knees and looked at her daddy's face. "Lub Ewe." She patted Merle on top of his head like he was her faithful dog.

"Hope, milky." Beth sat down on the floor.

Hope looked around the room with a smile on her face. "Milky."

Beth held out Hope's cup. "Here's your milky."

Hope knocked the cup out of Beth's hand. "No." Hope dropped to her bum. "Mine, Milky."

Merle pulled himself to his knees. "You got milk in your cup Squirt."

Hope let her body fall backwards; she was now star fished on the floor. "Milky now." She wailed as she kicked her feet wildly.

Beth and Merle looked at each other, both of them unsure what to do.

* * *

It had taken most of the morning for Rick, Daryl and Tyreese to agree on what to do next. Daryl had suggested they enter Savannah to scavenge for supplies. Tyreese had disagreed, he thought their main concern was finding Clementine's group. Rick had settled the dispute, neither Daryl nor Tyreese argued with their leader. Rick's word was final. The officer had decided that it wouldn't be safe to drag the young girl around a walker infested town, instead they would search the outskirts of town for both supplies and Clementine's group.

So far the group had come across a few abandoned houses. Each one was the same as the last, a ransacked mess with little of use inside.

Rick squatted down to Clementine's height. "Sweetie, do you have any idea where Christa and Omid may be?"

Clementine played with her fingers. "Well...we came in by train...so..."

Daryl looked down at the girl in disbelief. "You came in by train?" Daryl raised an eyebrow. "How the hell did you manage that?"

Clementine placed her hands behind her back and rocked on her heels. "We found a train. Kenny and Lee got it working."

Daryl looked impressed. "Well then I guess we should head for the train tracks."

The three men started to walk but Clementine stood glued to the spot. Tyreese turned around.

"Come on Clem, let's go." Tyreese held his hand out.

Clementine stood still. "I gotta go." She whispered.

All three men looked at each other; none of them understood what she was saying.

Daryl placed his hands on his hips. "Go where?"

Clementine scrunched up her face and crossed her legs. "You know...I need...I got to..." She bit her lip as she looked up at the clueless men. "Pee." She whispered.

Rick couldn't help but smile at the shy child. "Well why didn't you just say?" Rick looked around; his eyes lingered on an old rundown car. "How about behind that car?"

Clementine scrunched up her face again. She didn't much like the idea of going to toilet in the open, with a group of men listening. "Okay...but you lot have to cover your ears."

Rick chuckled. "You've got a deal there."

Clementine ran ahead towards the disused car. Daryl glanced at Rick. "A train would be pretty handy."

Rick nodded in agreement. "If it's got carriages we could try and move them into the farm, use a carriage as a house."

Tyreese looked at both men. "How would we move them? I mean they'd be huge."

Rick scratched his chin. "I don't know yet. But the worst case is we can use the train to travel too places quickly."

Daryl scratched his head. "Trailers."

"What?" Rick replied.

"You can move trailers, right?" Daryl smiled.

"Right." Rick answered slowly.

"So we hit a trailer park, hitch a few trailers up and move them to the farm." Daryl was amazed they hadn't thought of it before.

Tyreese gave a burst of laugher. "That's brilliant. The farm ground will hold at least four or five, probably more."

Rick ran his hands through his hair; he smiled up at the sky. "So all we need is a few materials for Milton's generator, which..."

"He could strip from the train." Daryl finished Rick's sentence.

Clementine came from behind the car. "All done." She smiled broadly, her smile dropped into a frown. "Hey, you lot didn't cover your ears."

Tyreese chuckled and took hold of Clementine's hand. "Let's go find your train."

* * *

The farm group with the exception of Beth, Merle, Maggie, Hershel, Glenn, Patricia and Hope were all gathered by the RV.

The old vehicle was still blocking the hole in the fence.

"Seems easy enough to fix." Martinez examined the broken board. "So what's going to happen with the kid?"

"We throw him out." Shane answered quickly.

Martinez crossed his arms. "He's part of Hershel's family. Shouldn't he deal with it?"

Shane snorted. "He's got his hands full."

Lori rubbed her stomach. "I think we should wait for Rick, and if you ask me Merle shouldn't be here either." Lori wore a look of disgust on her face. "Taking advantage of a young girl like that, it makes my skin crawl." She shuddered.

Carol nodded. "I agree. Men like Merle crawl inside your brain, take control. Just like Ed."

"Mom, no!" Sophia moaned. "Merle's a good man."

"Sophia, I know you like him but..." Carol was interrupted by Milton.

"But what? He saved your daughter and it looks like he protected this place." Milton had never been fond of Merle, but he wasn't going to let the man be painted as a pervert. "Would you all be making such a fuss if Beth and Caesar became a couple?"

Lori placed a hand on her hip. "That's different."

"What if it was Shane, Me or Daryl with Beth?" Milton pushed his glasses up his nose. "No, you wouldn't. You only have a problem with Merle because you still see him as drug addled, racist hillbilly. You refuse to see him as a father and a man." Shane went to speak but Milton got there first. "What if it was Dale and Andrea?"

The group fell silent each member looked at one another, no one knew how to answer.

"I agree with Milton." Dale spoke up. "The matter of Merle and Beth is for them up sort out with Hershel."

"It's still sick." Lori muttered.

"What about Jimmy?" Martinez asked again.

"We wait for Rick." Lori said firmly.

Shane shook his head. "What 'till then we leave him locked in the barn?"

"Yes." Lori snapped.

Shane grunted and stormed away from the group. One by one the group separated leaving just Milton and Dale.

Milton took his glasses off and cleaned them. "Thank you for supporting me."

Dale patted Milton's back. "Its fine son, you made a lot of sense."

Milton placed his glasses back on. "We can't expect Rick to settle everything either."

"Why's that?" Dale asked curiously.

"If we force one person to make all our hard decisions, it will eventually drive them mad." Milton hung his head. "I watched my best friend have leadership thrust up on him, and it turned him into a monster. I won't sit back and watch it happen again."

Glenn came running towards the two men. "It's a boy!" He cried out ecstatically. "I have a son!" Glenn jumped up and down on the spot; he embraced both men and ran off to tell the others.

* * *

Hershel had been sitting down cleaning his equipment in his study when Merle entered the room. Merle stood silently in the doorway watching the old farmer disinfect everything carefully.

"If you've come for my permission, then you may as well just turn around." Hershel said without looking up from his work.

"Just need you to listen to me." Merle entered the room; he stood in front of Hershel's desk, like a child in a principal's office. "I ain't gonna tell you she chased me, 'cause the simple fact is I could have kept pushing' her away."

"But you didn't." Hershel's cold blue eyes stared at Merle. "You seduced my baby. After you told me nothing would happen between you."

Merle pursed his lips and tilted his head. "You can play this however you want." Merle shrugged. "Hell, I'll be the villain of the piece if you like, but it ain't gonna change matters. Beth and I are together, that ain't changing. Now I don't know what she sees in me, but I ain't gonna hurt her, or let anyone else hurt her."

Hershel scowled at Merle, he pointed his finger at him. "If you love her, you'd leave this place."

Merle took a deep breath; he had to keep reminding himself he couldn't hit the old codger. "Not a chance I ain't leavin' my family."

Hershel was starting to get angry; he stood up with clenched fists. "And if I forced you out?"

"You heard Beth, you'd lose her." Merle placed his hand in his pocket. If his hand was in his pocket he wouldn't be able to throw a punch.

"You're an animal, you hear me, a monster." Hershel was now violently jabbing his finger at Merle. He had lost Maggie to Glenn; he didn't want to lose his baby girl. "You'll slip up soon and when you do Bethy will see the error of her ways."

Merle stepped back, he had to leave he could feel his temper starting to burn deep in the pit of his stomach. "Maybe she will, but I'm hers 'till she don't want me no more. So you got two choices, live with it or she leaves." Merle turned to leave.

"Merle." Hershel hissed his name. Merle looked at the old man. "I forbid you two to share a room under my roof. Its part of mine and Beth's faith, until you are married separate rooms in this house.

Hershel thought he'd won the argument, but one thing Merle was never stuck for was words.

"That's fine." A smirk spread across his face. "RV ain't under your roof, neither is the barn." Merle strode out of the room and back towards his room. Part of Merle knew he should have given Hershel more time to digest the news, but he couldn't wait, he just wanted to do the right thing.

As Merle walked towards the bedroom he felt like kicking himself. Why the hell did he have to run his mouth at the end? Merle huffed; his mouth was always the thing that got him into trouble, that's why he'd taught Daryl to stay silent. _"Keep your head down and ya trap shut."_ Merle had always told him. Maybe he needed to follow his own advice.

* * *

The walk to the train tracks had been fairly uneventful. A few walkers had stumbled into their path and been disposed of by an arrow to the head, but other than that it was peaceful.

Clementine had started a game of eye spy. Daryl was winning at the moment. Clementine said he was cheating, she thought he kept changing his answer when she guessed it correctly. Daryl denied the cheating allegations and just put it down to jealously.

Right now Daryl had spied something being with B.

"Bow." Tyreese guessed.

"Nope." Daryl shook his head.

"Bird?" Clementine asked.

"Nope." Daryl smiled. This one was so good no one would guess it.

"Train." Rick exclaimed.

"Uh…that's a T." Daryl replied.

"No, train. Look." Rick started to run towards it.

The group stopped by the large freight train. "Is this it Clem?" Rick asked.

Clementine nodded enthusiastically. "This is it."

A scuffling was heard from inside one of the boxcar. Clementine hid her body behind Tyreese's leg. Daryl pulled his crossbow off his shoulder and aimed it at the sliding door of the boxcar. Rick moved forward, he grabbed the door and looked at Daryl. With a single nod from the redneck, Rick pulled the door open in one fluid movement.

"Don't move." Daryl barked.

A Persian man stood next to an African-American woman, both held their hands up. "Whoa don't shoot." The man blurted out.

Clementine peered from behind Tyreese's legs. "Omid, Christa!" She ran forward.

"Clementine." They both called in unison.

Omid jumped down and embraced the girl. "Clem, we were so worried about you."

"Where's Lee?" Christa asked as her eyes darted around the group. "And who are these people?"

Daryl lowered his crossbow. "Hey lady. How about a thanks for savin' your damn kid?" Daryl replied in a curt tone.

Omid stood up. "Thank you, all of you."

Daryl's eyes flicked down to Christa's stomach. The fiery woman didn't seem to appreciate it; she crossed her arms over her stomach.

Clementine excitedly grabbed Omid's hand. "Rick has a farm; we can go live with them."

Omid's face lit up. "Oh God, really?" Before Daryl could do anything Omid grabbed him and hugged him. "Shit, thank you."

Daryl looked like a rabbit in headlights, his body had become as stiff as a board and his eyes were looking at Rick, begging for help.

Clementine giggled. "That's Daryl." She pointed to Rick. "That's Rick."

Omid launched himself at Rick. "Oh man, you have no idea how grateful we are."

Rick seemed more comfortable with the display of affection. He patted Omid on the back. "It's fine. Do you know how to work the train?"

Omid released Rick. "Oh yeah, Kenny showed me before..." He looked at Clementine. "D-I-E-D."

"I can spell." Clementine muttered.

"So where's this farm of yours?" Christa asked. "We need to find the nearest set of tracks."

Daryl pulled out the crumpled map out of his back pocket; he placed it on the floor of the boxcar. "Well we're here." Daryl pointed out. "If we take these tracks here, it would take us past the farm."

Rick examined the new route. "That's if all the tracks are clear." He mused. "Hmmmmm."

Daryl bit his thumb nail. "We'd have to leave the car. Unless you want me to double back and take it home."

Rick started to weigh up the pros and cons. The farm was only a few hours drive by train, but that was only with a clear track. If they left the car, they'd be leaving half a tank of gas behind, but if they got the train close to the farm Milton could strip the machine apart to build a new generator.

"No, we take the train." Rick hoped he was making the right decision.

Omid became excited again. "So we can join your group?"

Rick looked at Tyreese and Daryl. Tyreese gave Rick a swift nod, Daryl looked at Omid and then at Clementine, finally his eyes settled on Christa's stomach. Daryl let out a heavy sigh and gave a small nod.

Rick took that as confirmation both men were on board with the new people. "You get us home, you can stay."

Omid rushed towards the front of the old freight train. "We'll what are we all waiting for? We're burning daylight."

Tyreese helped Clementine into the boxcar and jumped in. "Here." He held out his hand for Christa.

"Thanks." Christa took hold of Tyreese's hand. In one swift movement Tyreese pulled the woman into the boxcar.

Once everyone was settled the train started to slowly move down the track. Daryl sat on the edge of the boxcar dangling his feet over the edge. Christa sat herself beside him.

Christa looked over at Tyreese and Clementine. Tyreese was laughing at something Clementine had said.

"I didn't say it before, but...thank you for looking after Clem." Christa watched the scenery whizz by.

Daryl shrugged. "Anyone would've done the same."

Christa shook her head. "You know that's not true. People today they're ruthless, they do what they have too to survive...even if it means killing a child."

Daryl sighed he'd always been just trying to survive, this world was no different. "So when you due?"

Christa seemed surprised. The other members hadn't noticed, or if they had, they'd chosen not to mention it. "I don't know."

Daryl noticed a look of fear in Christa's eyes, he couldn't blame her. Giving birth without medical care must be petrifying. "Y'know we have pregnant women at the farm and they're just fine." Daryl's words seemed to ease Christa.

"Daryl." Clementine stood behind him. "What was B?"

Daryl had almost forgotten about the game of eye spy. "Belt." He smiled proudly. "So I guess I win."

* * *

Jimmy had been kept locked in the barn all night. Shane had made sure that there was someone on watch at all times. Andrea had done the night shift and given Jimmy breakfast in the morning, leaving Shane to keep watch throughout the day. Martinez and T-Dogg had started repairs on the fence. Dale took gate watch along with Sasha, leaving the rest of the group to try and do the farms chores and watch the children. Merle had started to muck out the stables; he wanted to be as far away from the group as possible.

Beth walked into the stables with a bottle of water and a small plate of food. Merle hadn't bothered to have breakfast or stop for lunch, so Beth decided she would bring lunch to Merle.

As Beth entered she felt an explosion of butterflies in her stomach. Merle was working topless with a pitchfork in his hand. Sweat glistened on his firm muscular body, every time he lifted the pitchfork his huge arm muscles bulged. Beth stood transfixed by him; she watched a bead of sweat started at the nape of his neck and slowly trickle down between his shoulder blades.

Merle turned his head. "Hey girl, what brings you here? Is Squirt okay?" He stood the pitchfork in a hay mound.

"She's having a nap; I've brought you some food and water." Beth placed the items down on a hay bale.

Merle smiled at her, he moved slowly towards her. It was almost like a lion stalking its prey. When Merle got close enough he placed his finger through one off Beth's belt loop and pulled her to him.

Beth placed her palms on Merle's chest. "Merle." Beth started to blush. "Now everyone knows about us, can we..." Beth bit her lip; she looked up at Merle with her large blue eyes.

Merle nibbled at Beth's neck. "I ain't takin' your virginity in a stable darlin'."

Beth pushed Merle away. "You always have and excuse. First it was not until you talk to Daddy, now it's because it's a stable."

"Beth..." Merle started to speak.

"No, we're not allowed to consummate our love in the house, so why not here? This was the first place I told you and love you, it's special."

"Baby..."

Beth was on the verge of tears. "No! Don't baby me. Why don't you want me?"

Merle took a deep breath. It wasn't that he didn't want Beth; he wanted her more than anything. Merle would never admit it but he was afraid, he was afraid of hurting her but more than that, he was afraid the memory of his first time would surface, and Merle couldn't handle that. He had spent so much time burying it deep in his mind, keeping hidden with a cocktail of drugs and alcohol. Merle had been thirteen when he lost his innocence, but it still made his stomach turn.

_His Ma had taken Daryl to visit their grandparents; she often did this when she needed to get away from their old man. Merle had been in school when she left, he hadn't been surprised to find her and Daryl gone. The woman would have to disappear when the old man was out of the house to escape a beating, and there was no better time than the middle of the afternoon. Merle's father spent the afternoons drinking in the local bar._

_Merle had arrived home to an empty house; he shrugged it off and made himself a sandwich. After watching a few hours of television Merle decided to go to bed, he didn't want to be up when his drunken father stumbled in. _

_The next thing Merle remembered was the sound of giggling a moaning. His old man must have picked up some drunken floozy at the bar. Merle rubbed his eyes and went back to sleep. _

_The next time Merle was woken, it was by the smell of cigarettes and cheap liquor. Merle pulled himself into a sitting position and blinked at his doorway. A bleach blonde woman in her early forties stood swaying in his doorway; the only thing covering her up was his mother's dressing gown._

_"Sorry Sugar, I was just lookin' for the bathroom." She slurred._

_"Next door down." Merle muttered sleepily._

_Instead of leaving the woman invaded Merle's room, stumbling over to his bed. She sat next to Merle, a drunken half smirk spread across her face. "Yer daddy didn't tell me he had such a good lookin' son." She slurred again._

_Merle wasn't sure if it was fear but he found himself unable to move. He couldn't move when she crushed her lips against his, he couldn't move when she touched him in a ways a grown woman shouldn't touch a boy, and he couldn't move when she took his innocence._

Ever since that night Merle had made a vow, he'd treat women the same way. He'd take what he wanted and leave them. That was until now. Now Merle Dixon's hard shell had been cracked open and once again he was a vulnerable thirteen year old boy.

Merle looked deep into Beth's crystal blue eyes; he'd couldn't avoid this for ever. "You know it's gonna hurt right?" Merle asked in a hushed tone.

Beth nodded. "Sasha told me it would." Beth kissed Merle. "But I'm ready, please."

Merle nodded he kissed Beth, she felt a fire start to build in her stomach. Merle placed a trail of soft kisses around her neck. His good hand started to unbutton her plaid blouse. Merle's hand brushed against her skin and Beth felt the fire inside her intensify. She wanted him to move faster this slow speed was killing her.

"You okay sweetie." Merle whispered huskily in her ear. Beth nodded, that small nod was enough for Merle to continue, he shed Beth's shirt from her body.

Merle dropped to his knees, he slowly slid off her shoes and started working on her jeans. Each touch was like a surge of electricity to Beth, she never knew this feeling could exist.

Beth was nervous, she had seen Merle's manhood and she's often wondered how he'd fit inside her, but the nerves seemed to be washed away by a wave of lust and pleasure. Merle pushed Beth's jeans down, leaving her in just her underwear.

As Merle rose from the floor he slowly kissed his way up her body to Beth's soft lips. As he kissed Beth again Merle walked her backwards towards a large pile of hay.

Merle moved his hand to Beth's back and unhooked her bra; the garment fell to the floor. He showered attention on her pert breast with his mouth and tongue. Beth let out a pleasured moan. He wrapped his damaged arm around Beth and guided her trembling body down onto the pile of hay.

Merle knelt between her legs. He looked down at her. There she was, this pure angel, she was willing to give this devil anything he wanted. Merle was going to make sure he did it right for her. He was going to make it everything his first time wasn't.

Merle played with the hem of Beth's panties, the young woman's breathing hitched. Beth raised her hips letting Merle strip her of them.

He looked at Beth; her beautiful eyes gazed at him trustingly. It was a look Merle had very rarely been given by others. He gentle kissed her soft firm stomach, making Beth moan involuntarily. If Merle wasn't hard the noise Beth was making would have done it.

Merle moved his face up to the crook of Beth's neck taking in her floral, earthy smell. "You could still head for the hills princess." Merle whispered before kissing Beth's neck once again.

Beth didn't answer she moved her hands down to Merle's belt buckle, her fingers made quick work of it. Merle slipped out of his pants leaving him in just his boxers. Merle took a deep breath and removed his boxers.

He positioned himself between Beth's legs, not giving her a chance to see his erection; he didn't want Beth to have to think about the pain. Merle placed his forehead on Beth's. "You really wanna this? Once I take it you can't have it back."

Beth nodded and kissed Merle.

Merle pulled Beth's knees up gently, he slowly entered her. Beth buried her face into Merle's shoulders trying to muffle her cries. She whined as Merle took her virginity. It hurt more than Beth had originally thought, but Beth wasn't going to let Merle know how much it hurt. She didn't want him to stop. Merle didn't move at first, he let Beth's body adjust to him inside her; he didn't want to make the pain worse than he had to.

This was new for Merle; usually he would find a woman and do what he wanted. He had never thought about how they felt until now. Merle started to move slowly at first he groaned at how tight Beth felt around him.

Merle thrust into Beth, the girl gave a moan as her body started to accept him. Beth let out a mixed cry of pleasure and pain; she'd never experienced such a rush of feelings before. As Merle moved above her, he picked up his pace. He muttered something in her ear but Beth missed it she couldn't hear anything anymore. She closed her eyes and let the sensation wash over her whole body. Beth's eyes snapped open as she felt that familiar feeling of pleasure start to build in the pit of her stomach; it swiftly spread through her whole body.

"That's right Peach." Merle grunted as he started moving himself faster. Beth gave a pleasured cry as she lost herself beneath him.

Merle felt satisfied that he'd done his job, and he had done it well. He emptied himself into Beth and rolled off of her. Hay clung to their damp, sweaty bodies.

Merle looked over at Beth. "You okay Peach."

Beth caught her breath. "When can we do that again?"

Merle chuckled. "Damn girl, let me rest for a few minutes and I'll be ready for round two."

Merle stood up, he pulled his pants back on and started to gather Beth's clothes. Merle returned to his lover and knelt beside her, he started to help her dress.

Beth stared at Merle as he slid her boots back onto her feet. This is the Merle she wanted everyone to see, the Merle that hid behind a tough exterior. The caring, patient Merle, in the eyes of the others this man did not exist, but Beth knew differently.

"Dad!" Carl's elated cries flew past the stable doors.

Merle and Beth looked at each other. Merle grinned. "Go get Squirt."

Beth tried her hardest to brush of any loose hay that was sticking to her before leaving the barn.

Merle made his way to the front gate. He could tell by Shane's body language he wasn't happy about something. As Merle got closer he could see why, there were three strangers standing just behind Rick. Carl stood by his father's side; he looked cautiously at the three new people.

Daryl gave Merle a light nod, Merle returned the gesture.

"What the hell Rick?" Shane started to pace back and forth. "No offence but we don't have enough living space for us, let alone newcomers."

Rick placed his hand on Shane's shoulder trying to calm his friend down. "Yes, but we have plenty of land."

Shane snorted. "So what, we all go back to living in tents?"

"No trailers." Rick shot back defensively.

Merle gave a light chuckle. "Everyone makes fun of folk livin' in trailers 'till the world goes to hell."

Shane gave Merle a poisonous look. "We also got some stuff to settle now your back." He said to Rick.

Daryl couldn't miss the look Shane had given Merle. He knew then that Merle was some the root of the problem.

The tension was momentarily broken by Beth approaching with Hope. "Dada." Hope squealed and clapped her hands.

Beth handed Hope off to Merle. "Our girls learnt a few new words while you were away."

Daryl moved forwards and took Hope off Merle. "Hey Bug. You learnt some new words?"

Hope looked over at the newcomers her lip trembled. "No, no." She screamed Hope started to cry.

Daryl winced at the ear shattering noise his daughter was making. "What the hell?"

Merle snatched Hope out of Daryl's arms. "That punk Jimmy broke the fence and biters got in. Now it seems she's scared shitless by strangers."

"You said a swear." Clementine pointed out quietly.

"Stick around kid, you may hear some more." Merle walked over to Omid, he pushed Hope into the strange man's arms. Usually Merle wouldn't dream of letting some stranger hold his baby girl, but this was for her own good. Hope couldn't go through life being afraid of everything; the fear would kill her in the end.

Hope screamed in Omid's arms her tiny hands slapped against his face. "Ow, shit." Omid moaned as he nearly dropped Hope.

"Careful." Merle barked. "You drop her and I'll drop you."

Once Hope realised the strange man wasn't going to hurt her, she settled down. Her hands started exploring his face, pulling on his ears and poking him in the eye.

"She's cute." Omid pulled a funny face at Hope making the small girl laugh. He looked at Daryl then Merle. "So was it surrogate or adoption?" Omid asked innocently.

"What?" Daryl asked in a confused tone.

Omid blew a raspberry against Hope's hand, making her laugh. "Well she's your two baby. Did you adopt her or use a surrogate?"

It sudden dawned on Merle what Omid was talking about. He grabbed Hope off Omid. "What the fuck, I ain't no fuckin' fag. That's my brother."

Omid held his hands up in apology. "Dude I'm sorry but you called her our girl, and I just assumed..."

"We don't know who the dad is." Daryl added quickly. "We both slept with the same women."

Omid raised an eyebrow. "And that's better than being gay?" He questioned.

Merle's face was now bright red through anger. "Damn it I've got a woman."

Daryl looked surprised by the news. "You do?"

"He does." Beth replied as she took Hope from Merle's arms.

Daryl rubbed his hand over his face. "Shit...Merle...no...why?"

Merle placed his arm around Beth's waist. "Why not."

"Because it's wrong." Shane replied.

"You betta shut your mouth Walsh, or I'll shut it for you." Merle and Shane walked towards each other in a menacing fashion.

"Well come on then." Shane snarled.

Rick and Daryl moved in between the two men.

"Enough." Rick said firmly. "Beth, take Omid, Christa and Clem into the house." Rick looked at his son. "Carl go gather everyone in the dining room, we have a lot to talk about."

Daryl gently shoved Merle's shoulder and pointed towards the house. The older Dixon gave Shane his best death stare and moved off.

Beth held Hope in her arms as she walked towards the house. The little girl was staring at Omid.

The man smiled at Hope. "You okay kiddo?"

Hope pointed at Omid. "Fag." She giggled.


	33. Chapter 33

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to DarylDixon'sLover, Micaela Beth Winchester, Brazen Hussy, FanFicGirl10, Dino-SOAR, SeverusSnape'sLove, BeingLolaStar, Runaway Fantasy Princess, Emberka-2012, Annelisa Lilone1776 and NYANCAT56.**

**NYANCAT56 I hope you're feeling better, there's nothing worse than being ill. If you're not, then get well soon.**

* * *

**Chapter 33.**

Rick stood at the gate with Daryl by his side. Shane paced back and forth like some sort of captive animal.

Rick had listened to the tale of Jimmy and the fence, followed by the story of Merle and Beth. He didn't know where to start.

Shane stopped pacing; he stood with his hands on his hips. "Well say something Rick. We were all forced to wait for your ruling." Shane sounded rather bitter about the fact he'd had to wait for Rick.

Rick sighed; he wasn't sure how to approach the subject. Merle wasn't actually doing anything wrong. Yes Beth was a lot younger than Merle, but it wouldn't be the first relationship with a huge age gap and it certainly wouldn't be the last. "Well, as long as Beth is consenting I don't see the issue here."

Shane scoffed. "What if he decides he wants Sophia next?"

The sentence angered Daryl, his brother was a lot of things but he'd never touch a child. "Merle ain't no kiddy fiddler." Daryl went to move forward but was stopped by Rick's palm on his chest.

"Look, whatever Merle and Beth chose to do is between them. It doesn't matter how we feel about it." Rick caught Shane's eye. "There's a lot that has happened around here that I don't agree with or like, but we can't control what others do. We just have to accept it and move on."

For a split second Shane thought Rick knew about him and Lori, he looked down at the ground breaking eye contact. "If it wasn't for Merle, Jimmy wouldn't have broken the fence. He needs to go."

"The hell he does." Daryl growled. "You get rid of him then I go too."

Shane gave a snort like laugh. "Well that will be a shame now." He responded sarcastically. "We get rid off two rednecks." Shane looked at the ground; he slowly shook his head and looked back up at Daryl. "The only shame is that poor baby will go with you."

"Shane enough." Rick warned his friend.

"What, I'm just saying what we're all thinking. Hope needs better parents, ones that will teach her right from wrong. She's going to grow up to be redneck trailer trash just like..."

Daryl's fist flew straight into Shane's jaw. Rick placed his body between the two men.

"Enough!" Rick yelled as each man struggled to get to each other. Daryl instantly stopped, Shane followed suit. "I'll talk with Hershel then we'll decide what needs to be done."

Daryl pushed past Rick, he stormed towards the house. He was going to have a chat with Merle and find out what his brother was playing at.

Daryl entered the house through the front door; he could hear most of the group talking in the dining room. Daryl took a quick look in the room, people sat gathered around the table. Milton had his notebook out; he seemed to be quizzing the new group, but no Merle or Hope.

Daryl started to climb the stairs. His journey was interrupted by a baby crying. He started to follow the desperate cries.

Daryl found himself standing outside Maggie and Glenn's room; he gave a slight knock and entered.

Maggie sat in bed trying to silence her baby. She looked up at Daryl with tired and desperate eyes. "He won't stop." Maggie's voice sounded like she was about to break into tears. "And Glenn's not here."

Daryl walked over to Maggie, he felt sorry for the woman. He'd only seen one other woman look so sad, that was Maria, Hope's mother. The woman looked heartbroken when she paid her final visit to Hope at his house.

"Here." Daryl took the baby off Maggie. He slowly rocked the boy. "He got a name?"

Maggie wiped her eyes. "No we can't decide."

Daryl jiggled the crying boy. "We'll that's why. I'd cry if I was baby no name...how about...The Destroyer?"

Maggie choked out a laugh. "I'm not naming my child The Destroyer, and don't you dare tell Glenn, he'll love the name."

Daryl chuckled. "How about Thing One? Lori's due soon she could name hers Thing Two."

Maggie's sad eyes shone a little brighter. "I didn't have you down as a Dr Seuss fan."

"Merle used to take me to the local library sometimes, just to escape. They were one of my favourites."

Maggie watched the man settle the crying baby with ease. She felt privileged that Daryl had chosen to share that small piece of information with her. Daryl didn't make a habit of discussing his past, so for Daryl to share even the smallest scrap of memory showed that he trusted her in someway.

"What if I can't do this?" Maggie blurted out. "What if he doesn't love me, or I don't love him?"

Daryl stopped moving he looked down at Maggie; she looked close to breaking down.

"Listen, I ain't gonna lie and tell you you're gonna love this baby and life is gonna be all rosy, 'cause it may not be." Daryl walked towards Maggie. "But that fact that you're frightened about not lovin' him shows you already do." Daryl placed the boy back in Maggie's arms. "My old man never once worried about lovin' us. He just worried 'bout where his next drink or fix was comin' from."

Maggie bit her lip as she watched Daryl, the man didn't speak much but when he did he made it count. "Daryl, about Merle and Beth."

Daryl sighed he didn't want another lecture about his brother. "I'm goin' to talk to him."

Maggie placed the baby in a bassinet. "Daddy is just upset. He didn't like the idea of Glenn being with me, so Beth and Merle has rocked him a lot."

Daryl raised an eyebrow. "So you're okay with this?"

Maggie shrugged. "Not really, she's my baby sister. I don't think she's lived enough to say she's in love, especially with a douchebag like your brother. No offence." Maggie added quickly. Daryl just shrugged, he couldn't argue with the truth. "But I've never seen Beth stand up for anything before, usually she does what Daddy tells her to do. She stood up for Merle...maybe, and this is a big maybe...they'll be good for each other, like me and Glenn."

Daryl bit his thumb nail. He was thankful that some people weren't howling for Merle's blood. "Well I better go, Ricks called a group meeting."

Maggie ran her hands through her bobbed brown hair, she knew things were about to get messy. Whatever the outcome, there were going to be some members of the group who wouldn't be happy.

Daryl took a final look at the little baby sleeping in the bassinet, he gave a nod to Maggie and left.

Daryl made his way to his room. As he approached he could hear Hope singing one of her nonsensical songs. Daryl often wondered if he was ever that carefree, Hope had no idea about the harsh, cruel world around her and if it was up to Daryl, she never would.

The bedroom door was opened just enough for Daryl to see Merle sitting on the edge of the bed. Beth was kneeling on the floor in front of him, at first Daryl wasn't sure what she was doing but then he saw it. Merle had taken his metal wrist guard off. The stump that usually hid underneath looked red and sore. Daryl had never thought about it before but the metal wrist guard must have been unbearable some days, especially if it was hot and Merle was doing any form of manual labour, his nub must sweat and itch inside its metal shell. Merle very rarely took the guard off; he didn't want people to see his deformity.

Daryl watched as Beth gently bathed Merle's nub. He was surprised that Merle let the woman do the intimate task; it showed Merle's trust for Beth. No words were exchanged as Beth wrapped a bandage around Merle's nub. The tender look that Merle gave to the young woman was enough for Daryl. He'd never seen his brother look at a woman like that before. Beth was more than a notch in the bedpost to Merle.

Beth got to her feet and placed a small soft kiss on Merle's forehead. "I'll bathe it tomorrow morning." She said softly.

"It ain't that bad." Merle muttered.

Beth picked up Hope. "Merle you need to look after it, and if you won't I will. Now, lets go downstairs."

Daryl quickly retreated back down the hallway. He would have gladly tackled Merle when he thought his brother was just screwing around with Beth, but there was no way in hell Daryl was going to sit Merle down and talk about his feelings. Daryl valued his teeth too much.

* * *

Rick had found Hershel outside topping up the generator. "You left the car. Did it run out of gas?" The farmer enquired.

Rick could tell by Hershel's tone, he was in no mood to be messed with. "No it didn't, we left half a tank of gas, but we have parts for Milton's generator."

"But you left the car?" Hershel seemed unimpressed by Rick's news.

"I made what I thought was the right decision. I make no apologies for it." Rick replied sternly. "I'm here to talk about Jimmy and Merle."

"And what exactly is it we need to talk about? The fact that a man who has questionable morals has taken advantage of my baby, lets not even start on the matter that he's old enough to be her daddy." Hershel released a sharp burst of air. "Or do you want to discuss, the boy I treated like a son is currently tied up in my barn, because he put my entire family in danger."

"Pick one and we'll settle it." Rick offered.

Rick's calm tones seemed to diffuse Hershel's temper slightly. "Well the subject of Merle Dixon is a dead one. I'm not losing my Bethy over him."

Rick nodded one subject down, one to go. "And Jimmy?"

Hershel wiped his hands on an old rag. "That's for the group to decide. I agree with Milton, big decisions should be decided by us all, not one of us."

Rick nodded in agreement; he was a little relieved he wouldn't have to make the hard decision himself. "I hear congratulations are in order, you're a grandpa now." Rick tried to break the tense atmosphere.

"Thank you. Lets just hope he'll be my only one for now, I pray Beth has more sense."

Rick stayed silent; everyone knew how much Beth wanted a child of her own. Rick also didn't point out that with Merle and Beth together; Hershel was now Hope's grandpa.

Rick cleared his throat. "We found a couple on the road, they have a child. I wanted to ask..."

"If they can stay?" Hershel responded. Rick nodded. "We'll see." The old man placed his oily rag back in his back pocket. "Lets get to this group meeting."

* * *

Daryl had made it to the dining room before Merle and Beth; he stood pushed up against a wall watching the group. Milton was still taking notes about the new groups experience, the rest of the group were scattered around the room exchanging idle chit chat. The only ones missing were Merle, Beth, Maggie, Glenn, Hershel and Rick.

Merle strutted into the room with one arm wrapped tightly around Beth's waist. Everyone knew about them now so he saw no reason to hide it.

"Milky!" Hope yelled.

Milton stopped writing and turned his head in Hope's direction. "In a minute Hope I'm busy."

Beth placed Hope in her high chair. That's why Hope had thrown a temper tantrum over the milk. She had wanted to play with Milton, not milk.

Most of the group had fallen silent as the couple entered. Lori threw Merle an icy stare. "Damn Olive Oly, I think I may get frostbite off that stare of yours." Merle stood behind Hope's high chair so Beth could have the spare seat next to the little girl.

"Well it's wrong..." Lori started.

"Now, now darlin'." Merle drawled. "Lets not start throwin' stones; if you wanna start that shit maybe we should talk to your husband about..."

"Glenn!" Clementine called out in surprise as the Korean entered the room.

Clementine stood up and ran towards Glenn; she wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Clem?" Glenn looked at the little girl in disbelief.

Milton looked over at Glenn, his pen floated above his pad ready to write down the new information he was about to receive. "You know Clementine, how?"

Glenn rubbed the back of his head. "When the outbreak first started I was in Macon, Clem was part of the group that took shelter in a pharmacy." Glenn looked at the two strangers. "But she was with others." Glenn looked down at Clementine. "Where's Lee, Doug and the others?"

Clementine's eyes welled up. "Gone." She whispered. "Omid and Christa are looking after me now."

Rick and Hershel entered the room both men looked tired and stressed. Hershel refused to make eye contact with Beth or Merle. Instead he looked at the small girl who had tried her hardest to hide her body behind Glenn.

Beth tried her hardest to show that her father's refusal to acknowledge her didn't upset her, but it had. The only thing that made it easier was Merle gently placing his hand on Beth's shoulder.

Hershel's eyes narrowed at the little girl. "Clementine, is that you?" Clementine stood next to Glenn and nodded.

Glenn looked from Clementine to Hershel. "But how..."

A look of sadness filled Hershel. "Clementine came here with Lee at the beginning of the outbreak. They..." Hershel sighed. "An accident happened, and like a foolish man I sent them away." Hershel's eyes looked around. "Lee, Kenny...Duck?"

"Gone." Clementine sniffed.

Hershel clenched his jaw. "Then you and your friends can stay. I'm not going to repeat my mistakes again." Hershel sat down next to Patricia.

Rick stood in front of the group. "Hershel and I have discussed matters. As far as Merle is concerned, our personal opinions don't matter. As long as Beth is consenting and happy, then the subject is over."

Lori gave a small snort of disgust. "You can't be serous Rick it's sick. Are you telling me that you agree with it?"

"Listen woman." Merle growled. "It ain't like we're hurtin' anyone, ain't like we're doin' anythin' wrong. Matters would be different if I had a wife and I was carryin' on with the girl." Merle tilted his head, his eyebrows flick up. "Now wouldn't that be worse? If I was leadin' on two women, instead of bein' faithful to Peach here." Lori became silent.

"That matter is over." Rick added abruptly. "Now Jimmy, we need to decide as a group. Does he stay or go?"

Shane was the first to answer. "We throw his ass out."

"Looks like me and you agree on somethin'." Merle added.

Dale looked around the group as most of them mumbled in agreement. "If we throw him out we may as well put a bullet in his head."

"I like that idea too." Merle replied.

Dale shook his head. "He's a young boy who made a mistake."

"A mistake that nearly resulted in the death of people." Shane shot back.

"But it didn't." Milton chimed in.

Daryl pulled his body away from the wall. "We can argue this all night; we'll just keep goin' round and round."

Rick placed his hands on his hips. "Okay a vote. A show of hands for those who think Jimmy should go." Hands flew up in the air. Omid looked at Christa, he wasn't sure what had happened before they arrived, but he felt sorry for Jimmy. The boy was as good as dead. "Okay, and who thinks he should stay."

Only four hands went up Andrea, Dale, Milton and Beth.

"What the hell Peach?" Merle asked.

Beth took a deep breath, she knew voting for Jimmy would be hard, but being with Merle had taught her she needed to stand up for what she thought was right. "What Jimmy did was inexcusable but he was desperate. Now he knows there's no hope for us being a couple he may settle down."

Merle took his hand off Beth's shoulder. "May being the operative word girl."

Rick took control of the room again. "It doesn't matter, the group has spoken. We'll blindfold Jimmy and drive him away from the farm, when we get far enough away we'll leave him."

"I'll do it." Merle offered.

"No, Tyreese and I will go. Merle, I need you and a small group to locate the nearest trailer park." Rick's stern, no nonsense tone let the group know the conversation was over.

Milton sighed and shook his head as he finished off his note taking. Merle had moved away from Beth much to Hershel's delight. As soon as Merle noticed the satisfied look on the old farmers face he picked up Hope.

"Hey Peach, you wanna come tuck Hope in?" Beth stood up. As soon as she was on her feet Merle pulled her to him with his damaged arm and kissed her. "Lets go."

A small smirk spread across Merle's face as he noticed Hershel's face turn red.

Beth tickled Hope under the chin. "I'll just go get Hope's bedtime book."

Hope pulled her body up so she was looking over Merle's shoulder. "Lub Ewe."'She yelled at the room. "Dada now." Daryl complied with his daughters orders. He followed Merle and Hope out of the room.

Merle led the way upstairs; Hope's little face was still looking over his large shoulder.

"Dada, dada, Mine, Mine." She sang at Daryl.

Daryl smiled. "Hey Bug." Hope stopped singing and looked at him. Daryl poked his tongue out.

"Whas at?" Hope tried to lean her body further over Merle's shoulder.

Merle entered the bedroom; he placed Hope on the bed. Hope poked her own tongue and cackled.

Daryl stood on one side of the bed, he watched Merle on the opposite side. Merle had started gathering Hope's night clothes.

"So you and Beth." Daryl didn't know if he should approach the subject.

"Meth." Hope squealed.

"What about it?" Merle was frustrated with the subject. He'd had enough nagging off the group, he wanted Daryl's support not his judgment.

"You happy?" Daryl asked.

Merle looked over at his brother. Daryl was playing with the corner of one of the pillows. Merle could tell Daryl was finding this conversation embarrassing and uncomfortable.

Merle picked up the closest pillow and hurled it at his brother. "Shut up pussy."

Daryl picked up the pillow and threw it back. "Shut up yourself."

Merle gave a large booming laugh. Hope joined in with her father's laughter. "Like that is it you little shit?"

Merle took the pillow in his good hand; he moved towards Daryl and slammed the feathered pillow into Daryl's face.

"You bastard." Daryl chuckled. He picked up one of the spare pillows and launched a counter attack.

Blows were exchanged by both Dixon's. Hope bounced on the bed. "Go, go." She yelled banging her fists on the soft bed.

In a matter of moments both pillows split open. Feathers flew up in the air and fluttered down over the bed. Hope looked up in wonder as they danced and swirled above her.

Merle pushed Daryl. "Look what you done now." Merle looked at Hope and the bed; both were now covered in pure white feathers.

"Weren't me." Daryl looked at Merle. "You started it."

The bedroom door opened. Beth stood in the doorway with a book in her hand. Her mouth fell open.

"What happened here?" Beth's eyes darted between both men.

Merle and Daryl exchanged glances they both pointed at Hope. "She did it." They blurted out in unison.

"Shipt." Hope rolled around in the feathers giggling.

* * *

The next morning past in a blur, Rick and Tyreese had blindfolded Jimmy and taken him away, not before Milton gave the young man a gun with a single bullet in the chamber. The scientist had thought it was the kindest thing to do.

Merle and Daryl were looking over old maps to decide which trailer park would be the easiest to get to.

"So who you gonna take with you?" Daryl asked as he wiped his nose on the back of his hand.

"You, Brownie and I'm thinkin' Andrea." Merle replied.

"What about your rule, one of us stays to protect Hope? And with what happened when I was gone..."

"Well Squirt has Beth here to watch her, and Milty did a good job." Merle shrugged. "You wanna stay then stay."

Milton approached the brothers. "May I have a word with you two?"

"What word would you like Milty?" Merle smirked.

Daryl started to fold the map. "How about train? You should be startin' the generator."

Milton shuffled on the spot. "I'm thinking about starting a school."

"Waste of time." Merle cut Milton short. "What the hell these kids need to know apart from how to kill walkers."

"They need a basic understanding of the world; they need to know how to read." Milton looked at Daryl for support.

"We can teach Bug to read." Daryl used to hate school, everyday he'd go there and get bullied by the bigger children. Daryl had been a scrawny child and even with Merle toughening him up, bullies still attacked him.

Milton sighed; he obviously wasn't going to win the argument. "Carol, Lori and Christa have agreed..."

"Of course Lori would." Daryl muttered. "That woman will palm that poor kid off on anyone."

"Well that maybe the case, but they are willing to let me teach them, so if you change your mind I will be teaching lessons in the barn three times a week." Milton felt he had said his piece; he left the men to their work.

Daryl watched Milton walk away, he looked at Merle. "So we gonna send Bug to them lessons? I mean it couldn't hurt any."

Merle shrugged. "Suppose so, it may tire her out more."

Daryl gave a sly smirk. "What's up old man, can't keep up with a baby and a woman?"

Merle swiped Daryl around the back of the head. "Please boy, I can take care of Squirt, take care of my woman and still have the energy to whoop your sorry ass."

Daryl playfully shoved Merle. "You're too slow to catch me old man."

"Oh yeah." In one fluid movement Merle grabbed Daryl and placed him in a tight headlock. He then administered a rough noogie to his baby brother.

"You boys are worse than the kids." Maggie called out as she approached them. Merle released Daryl.

Daryl stood up to see Maggie and Beth heading towards them. Maggie held her baby in her arms whilst Hope slowly toddled in front of Beth. The youngest Greene girl had a picnic hamper in her hands.

"Mine, no a Dada." Hope sounded like she was scolding Merle.

Daryl picked Hope up, he span her up in the air. "Hey Bug."

As Daryl lowered the little girl she patted Daryl's head. "Owwww." She rubbed the spot Merle had been attacking. She pointed at Merle. "No."

Beth kissed Merle on the cheek. "We brought you boys some food."

Daryl placed Hope back on the ground. He looked at the baby in Maggie's arms. "He got a name yet?"

Maggie smiled. "Yes, his full name is Christopher Robin Rhee."

"Christopher Robin." Daryl squinted. "Like..."

"Winnie The Pooh. Glenn read it to him last night to get him to sleep." Maggie smiled. "I think it's cute."

Beth placed the blanket down on the ground. "Hope helped to make the food."

Merle sat down. "Did ya Squirt?" Hope poked her tongue out and wiggled it. "So we're goin' to get the trailers tomorrow." Merle looked at Beth. "Get us one with a nice big bed."

Beth stopped placing the food on the blanket, she looked up a Merle. "Us?" She squeaked.

Merle nodded. "Yeah, you, me, Daryl and Squirt. That okay?"

Beth's face lit up. "Yes." She launched herself at Merle knocking his body to the ground. Beth kissed him with all the passion she could muster.

"Shit, you two the kids are watchin'." Daryl grumbled.

Beth pulled her body off Merle's, she found herself blushing. "Let's eat." She handed a sandwich to Hope.

Hope held the sandwich up in the air towards Maggie. "Baba."

"Babies don't eat that food Bug." Daryl sat next to Hope and took a bite out of the sandwich. Daryl held his arms out. "You want me to hold Chris so you can sit?" Maggie past the baby to Daryl, she took a seat next to Beth.

Merle smiled at the boy. "Hard to think you was ever that small Squirt."

Hope threw her sandwich onto the blanket. She pulled herself to her feet. She wanted to take a look at this creature that made her Dada and Mine smile.

Hope looked at the sleeping baby; she wasn't taken with it at all. She scrunched up her nose. "Uggie." Was all Hope said before returning to her discarded sandwich.

* * *

Hershel stood in front of the kitchen sink. He found himself staring out the window watching his daughters. He let out a small soft chuckle as Hope try to feed Beth a partially chewed sandwich. Beth was so good with the little girl; she was patient and kind, just like her mother.

Hershel felt Patricia stand next to him. "So you're really against this?" She nodded towards the happy scene.

"I'm against my little girl getting hurt." Hershel replied. It wasn't that Hershel didn't like Merle, he saw himself in the Merle. Hershel just didn't like the man messing with his baby girl. Merle would understand in time when Hope found a partner of her own.

"I think you're against your daughters dating anyone, look at poor Glenn. It took a while for you to warm to him. You should be happy she's found someone. It's not an ideal situation, but she's happy." Patricia pointed out to the stubborn farmer.

"For now." Hershel gripped the edge of the kitchen sink tightly. "Bethy likes to fix things, you know that. Look at all those sick animals she used to find and bring to me when she was a child. That's all Merle is, an injured animal she wants to heal."

"Just like Annette." Patricia placed her hand on Hershel's. "And if I recall correctly, Annette managed to fix this family after Josephine's death." She squeezed the old farmers hand gently. "I see a lot of you in Merle; the only difference is he's never had a gentle soul to take care of him. In return for Beth's kindness, I'm sure he will teach her a lot about living."

Hershel looked over at Patricia. "But she's my little girl; she's all I've got."

Patricia tilted her head. "Hershel without being rude, you need to open your eyes. You have a whole farm filled with children that look up to you, and a new grandson. You're not losing anything, but if you let your stubbornness take hold then you'll lose everything."

Hershel sighed. "I know you're right, it's just hard letting go."

Patricia smiled. "You're not letting her go, you're letting you little girl grow into a woman. It's life."

Hershel looked back to the happy group outside. Glenn had joined them now. The Korean was fussing over his baby, much to Hope's frustration. "You're a very wise woman."

Patricia chuckled. "It's a curse."

Hershel didn't like the idea of Beth with any man. He wanted her to be his little girl forever. Merle wasn't someone he would have chosen for her, but he knew it was her choice and hers alone. A small smile spread across the old farmers face. At least Merle knew Hershel owned a shotgun, the redneck would be sure to treat Beth right, he knew what was waiting for him if he didn't.


	34. Chapter 34

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to DarylDixon'sLover, LostOne1775, gypsykl79, FanFicGirl10, SeverusSnape'sLove, Brazen Hussy, Emberka-2012, Dino-SOAR, NYANCAT56, Lilone1776, VanityMayhem and the Guest who reviewed. Without you all I wouldn't be writing this. So thank you.**

* * *

**Chapter 34.**

A small group gathered in the yard, each member was as tired and grumpy as the next. Daryl and Martinez were giving the vehicles a final check, whilst Merle and Andrea did a quick weapons check. The only conversation exchanged was small, short grunts.

"Hey guys." Omid jogged towards them.

Merle gave a large huff. He had been torn out of a dream about Beth, a can of chocolate frosting and Beth's long lost identical twin, to deal with a day of traveling. Now to make matters worse the overly happy new guy was on the approach.

"Who the hell is that happy this early in the morning?" Merle muttered under his breath. "What's up shorty?" Merle's voice sounded more gravelly than usual.

Omid rolled his eyes. "Haha yeah I'm short." He responded sarcastically. "I want to go."

"No." Daryl replied as he threw keys to Andrea.

"Come on." Omid begged. "You need at least four cars to pull the trailers."

"That's why we got four people." Merle coughed a little.

"What if something goes wrong...not that it will." Omid looked hopefully at the group. "Come on please, I just want to contribute."

Andrea smiled and sighed she had to admire the man wanting to help. Most people would just sit back and let the others do the work. "I'll take him." She tossed the keys to Omid. "You can drive."

"Yes." Omid celebrated. "And don't worry; I only had my license suspended twice."

"What?" Andrea sounded alarmed.

"It was nothing major, I almost hit someone on a cross walk." Omid made it sound as if it wasn't a big thing. Andrea's shocked facial expression let him know it was. "I said almost." Omid tried to reassure her.

Merle laughed as Andrea reluctantly climbed in the car next to Omid. Merle's laugh turned into a large wheezy cough.

"You okay?" Daryl sounded concerned.

"Yeah fine." Merle replied. "I ain't a pussy, it's a fuckin' cough. Now let's go."

The convoy of vehicles drove off. T-Dogg opened the gates and their journey started.

* * *

When Hope woke that morning she pulled herself up using the bars on her crib. She peeked between the bars trying to spy her Mine and Dada.

"Dada a Mine." Hope called when she couldn't see them. "Woooooo."

Hope's noise brought Beth into the room. "Good morning sweetheart." Beth took Hope out of her crib and placed her on the floor.

"Oi, Mine a Dada." Hope called again. She toddled towards a dirty sock on the floor; Hope picked it up and looked underneath it. "Hiya."

Hope gripped the sock tightly in her hand, her large eyes started to well up. She was sure they'd be hiding under that sock. Maybe they were both hiding under the bed.

Hope dropped to her knees and crawled under the bed still keeping the dirty sock in her hand.

"Mine a Dada." She couldn't understand where they had gone. Her boys had never been missing when she woke up; there was always at least one of them there to tend to her every need.

Beth started to tidy the room, she picked up Merle's dirty wifebeater and took in Merle's musky scent. He smelt so good. Beth had never considered herself an addict of any sort but she needed Merle, without him she felt empty and lost.

As Hope crawled out from under the bed Beth picked her up. "Your Mine and Dada have gone away for a bit, but they'll be back." She gently placed Hope on the bed whilst she finished clearing away the Dixon's dirty clothes.

There were so many words Hope didn't understand, but there was one she did, _gone_. Gone meant her boys weren't on the farm, gone meant they had travelled beyond the large wooden fence, gone meant they had both left her. Hope gripped the dirty sock close to her chest and started to howl.

"Nooooooo." The little girl sobbed uncontrollably.

Beth sat next on the bed and placed Hope on her lap, she gently rocked the girl. "I know I miss our Mine too."

"A...Da...da." Hope sobbed.

"Yes and I miss your Dada as well." Beth kissed the top of Hope's curly hair. "But they'll be back soon."

* * *

Omid followed the vehicles in front of him; every so often one would swerve to avoid a walker.

"So that Jimmy guy." Omid glanced across at Andrea. "You didn't want him to go. Why? I mean I heard what he did, it was pretty...harsh."

"It's not that simple." Andrea replied. "We gave Merle a second chance after what he did in Atlanta. He nearly killed us, and because he was high is not a valid argument." Andrea looked over at Omid.

"Oh, I thought it was because of what could happen if he were to leave the farm." Omid clipped a walker with the side of the car. "Shit." He yelled in surprise. "It's the crosswalk again."

Andrea held her breath; she didn't exhale until Omid got the car under control. "I thought you said you nearly hit that person." Omid opened his mouth to speak. "Wait, what do you mean what could happen now Jimmy's off the farm?"

"Think about it. You left the boy for dead and he lost his girl to Merle. I'd be really pissed. It only takes him finding a group of thugs and we have trouble knocking at the door." He explained. Andrea's jaw dropped, the thought of Jimmy returning had never crossed her mind. Rick and Tyreese had driven for a whole day to dump Jimmy, but it would only take someone with a map, and the boy could find the farm again. "We must be here." Omid pulled Andrea out of her thoughts.

At a glance the trailer park seemed empty and abandoned. Walkers had left in search of fresh meat; the only sign of their existence were the skeletal remains of their victims. Daryl steeped out of his car. He pulled out his crossbow for safe measures. He knew better than most, looks could be deceiving.

It seemed some residents had already taken their homes with them, leaving empty plots of land scattered around the park. Other trailers were nothing more than burnt out shells.

Merle stood next to his brother's side. He felt like shit, his throat felt like he'd just swallowed a knife and his muscles ached, but finding a home for his family would be worth it. "Eyes open, no guns and even if somethin' looks dead stab it in the brain for good measures." He ordered. "Once y'all cleared out a trailer hook it up to your vehicle and wait. We need to work quickly. Shorty, keep watch."

Omid sighed. "Forever Shorty."

"Better than Sugartits, whore or Rug muncher." Andrea replied.

The group separated, each member cautiously made their way towards the closest trailer, all of them except for Merle.

Merle didn't want just any trailer; he wanted one fit for his girls. A large trailer caught his eye. From the outside it looked rundown and shabby, but it was nothing that a bucket of soapy water couldn't remedy. Merle circled the trailer slowly. He peered in through the grubby windows for any signs of movement. When he was sure there wasn't any he opened the door and slowly entered.

There was an open door right in front of him that led into a room with a double bed. Next to the open door were two closed ones. Merle decided to deal with the open door first. He walked into the room to examine it. There was a large bloody hand print on the carpet. _"Could cover that with a rug." _Merle thought. The rest of the room seemed decent enough, apart from the torn curtains and overturned nightstand.

Once Merle had made sure the room was walker free he started on the other rooms. Merle slowly opened the first door; it was a small room, maybe big enough for a person to sleep in. The former residents seemed to be using it as an office. A small desk sat in the room, a computer sat on the desk. _"Ain't much use now."_ Merle thought.

The room next to it was another bedroom. It was smaller than the first, but big enough for Hope, only if they kept most of her toys in the farm house. There was only one room left directly opposite the smaller room, Merle assumed it was the bathroom. He tapped his wrist guard against the doorframe, only two bedrooms. This was the biggest trailer left in the park. He needed a room for Daryl, no Dixon gets left behind.

A small scrapping from the closed door caught Merle's attention. He placed his hand on the door handle, his bladed hand was raised high ready to strike. With one hard pull the door flew open.

Merle stepped back as he looked at the thing lying on the floor in front of him. He had to call it a thing because it wasn't alive, that was for sure but the creature didn't resemble any walker he'd seen. Its face was hollow and gaunt looking, a clump of hair was all that remained on the top of it head. Merle assumed the walker must have once been a woman because a blood stained nightdress clung to its skeletal frame. The creature didn't even have the strength to pull itself towards Merle; it just kept reaching out for him with its bony fingers.

"Hell now I gotta kill ya." Merle gave the walker a kick with his heavy boot. The light kick sent the walker rolling on to her back, it's mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. "Wonder if I can put ya down without messing up my bathroom."

Merle ran his blade through the walker's eye trying his hardest not to get blood everywhere. Personally he didn't mind a bit off bloody mess, but he wanted to give Hope and Beth a good, clean home.

"Merle, Merle, you in here." Daryl's hushed tones moved down the small tight hallway.

"In here." Merle's gravelly voice replied. "Gimme a hand."

Daryl poked his head into the small bathroom. He looked down at the walker. "Damn, it looks like it was starvin' to death." Daryl poked the walker with the end of his crossbow. "Do they starve?"

Merle shrugged. "Dunno, be handy if they did, means they'd eventually die out." Merle grabbed the corpse's legs. "C'mon lets get it out of here."

Daryl placed his crossbow over his shoulder. "We takin' this one?"

Merle gave a chesty cough as they slowly moved the dead body out of the trailer. "Only two rooms, unless you want the smallest one. It's pretty cramped though."

The men placed the dead walker on the ground outside.

Daryl scratched his head. "I don't care it's only for sleepin'. I can sleep on the pullout in the livin' room if I got to." He replied.

Merle was happy enough with the idea; he just wanted to get home. "Well what we waitin' for? Let's get it hooked up."

Merle watched as Andrea and Martinez pulled out another half starved walker from one of the other trailers. "Hey Merle, you think we should clear out the other trailers for supplies?" Martinez called out.

"Can't hurt, take anything of value." Merle ordered.

Daryl watched as on Merle's command Martinez and Andrea started to loot the remaining homes. "Bet I can find a better gift for Bug than you." Daryl smirked playfully. He jogged off towards the nearest pile of supplies.

* * *

Hope Dixon sat in her high chair with the dirty sock planted firmly against her cheek. She was sucking her thumb and staring at Beth. Hope had looked all over the farm for her men and they weren't anywhere to be found. So now Hope had decided she wouldn't do anything until they came back.

Beth offered Hope a spoonful of applesauce. On any other day Hope would destroy her tasty treat but today she just pushed it away.

"Please eat Hope." Beth begged.

"She misses her fathers." Hershel entered the room.

Beth looked at her father. "Daddy, what do I do? She won't do anything except play with that dirty old sock."

Hershel frowned at the grey sock. "Whose sock is that?"

Beth shrugged. "I don't know, but it stinks."

"No." Hope moaned through her thumb.

Beth placed the bowl on the table. "Daddy..." Beth had wanted to talk with her father about Merle, and now seemed as good a time as any. "I want to say I'm sorry that I made you mad, but I do love him and Merle...well I know he cares for me."

Hershel placed his hands in his pocket. "I just worry about you Beth. You know very little about life, and that's my fault I know." Hershel gave a light sigh. "I just want you to be happy Bethy, l love you."

Beth hugged Hershel. "I love you to Daddy."

"Lub Ewe." Hope whined she rubbed the sock over her face.

Hershel picked up Hope. "How about I take Hope out for a while and give you a rest."

Beth loved Hope and every minute with her was a blessing, but when the little girl was in one of her tempers she was hard work. "Thank you daddy." Beth kissed Hershel on the cheek.

Hershel bounced Hope in his arms. "Would you like to come help me water the crops?" He asked.

"No." Hope replied stubbornly, she wasn't going to do anything.

Hershel ignored Hope's moody tone and walked out of the house with her. The crops were coming in nicely now, most of them were ready to harvest.

Hershel sat Hope down on the ground whilst he took a look at a nearby strawberry plant. He gently took a large juicy strawberry between his thumb and finger; he twisted it off the plant and showed it to Hope. She stared curiously at the new fruit. Hope's stubbornness was overridden by her natural curiosity for all things new and exciting.

The small girl butt shuffled closer to the farmer. "Whas at?"

"It's a strawberry, would you like it?" Hershel watched as Hope gazed in wonder at the ripe succulent fruit. "It's very tasty."

"No." Hope took the strawberry from Hershel. She started to suck and chew on the sweet berry. Hope's eyes widened. "Ummmmm."

Hershel chuckled as red juice dribbled down Hope's chin and hand. She waved her free hand up and down; the dirty sock was still firmly glued in her chubby palm.

Hershel started to tend to the rest of the crops. Hope soon finished the fruit and decided she wanted more. She got to her feet and toddled towards the rest of the plants. Hope wasn't as gentle as Hershel she grabbed the strawberry and squeezed it in her hand causing a mushy mess.

"No." She whined, she grabbed another. This time one came off. Hope looked at the sock in her hand; she opened it up and after a few attempts put the strawberry inside the sock.

"Hershel." Patricia came running towards the farmer. "One of the cows is giving birth."

Hershel picked up Hope. "Here take her to the barn, Milton's there. After that come back, I'll need your help."

Patricia rushed towards the barn with Hope in her arms. When she entered the barn Milton's lesson was in full flow. Milton had taken Hope's chalk board and hung it from one of the walls; he had also gathered any text books he could find. The children sat on the floor of the barn, Milton had promised that he'd go to the local school and get real desks when he and the rest of the group weren't so busy, but for now they had to make do.

"Milton, can you watch Hope for a moment please?" Patricia asked as she placed the small girl next to Carl.

Carl looked a Hope's messy face; the juice had stained her little white dress pink. She placed her chubby hand into the depths of the sock and pulled out a strawberry, she started to suck and chew on it.

"Gross." Carl scrunched up his face.

"Mmmmmmm." Hope giggled.

Milton cleared his throat. "Carl, maybe you'd like to come and do this equation for us?"

Carl huffed; he got to his feet and started to work out the sum. Carl had begged his mom not to agree to Milton's school, he'd much rather be out learning how to hunt and track, not stuck in the barn doing math.

"That's not right." Sophia chirped as Carl started to work out the sum.

"Milky." Hope yelled sending chewed up strawberry sailing across the room. "Milky!"

Milton turned away from Carl and looked at Hope. The little girl was a mess; she had somehow got mashed up strawberry in her hair. She waved the dirty sock at him.

"Hope, please be quiet for a moment." Milton hoped by treating Hope like an adult she would act like one. He kept forgetting she was still a toddler.

Hope turned her head, she sneezed spraying Sophia and Clementine in a sticky strawberry, snot substance. Both girls screamed, Carl laughed.

"Gross." Sophia moaned as she used her sleeve to wipe her face.

Milton sighed; he pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and handed it to Sophia. "Here you go clean yourself with this."

Sophia wiped her face with the hanky. She then started to clean Hope's hand and face.

"She's cute." Clementine pulled her knees up to her chest. "Mr Mamet, how comes Hope has two daddies?"

"Dada." Hope squealed as she held up her trophy sock. "Mine."

Milton became slightly flustered by the topic. Carl and Sophia had somewhat of a basic understanding of Hope's parentage.

Milton's cheeks reddened as he cleared his throat. "Well...you see...uh."

Hope let out a high pitched scream that could have easily had shattered Milton's eardrums. Sophia was trying to wrestle the dirty sock from Hope's hand, the small girl was having none of it she screamed and wailed.

"Hope it's dirty, it will make you sick." Sophia tried to explain.

The explanation didn't make a difference. Hope bit down hard on Sophia's hand. The blonde girl yelped in pain as she quickly withdrew her hand.

"She made you bleed." Clementine pointed out in her soft tone.

Hope was now on her back, her little legs wildly thrashing around. Her loud desperate cries filled the barn.

"Sophia, go and clean out your bite. The rest of you might as well leave for the day, it's almost dinner." Milton carefully picked up Hope avoiding her wild legs. She may have only been a baby but Milton still didn't want to receive a kick from her.

Hope's breathing was ragged; she seemed to choke on her tears. A small snot bubble pooped from her tiny nostril. Milton adjusted Hope in his arms and rummaged in his pocket, it was then he remembered he'd given Sophia his handkerchief. Milton grabbed the end of the sock and wiped Hope's nose.

Hope buried herself into Milton's chest. Milton had never really cared for children, not just children he'd never been a lover of people. He had his relationship with Philip, but his friend died when the world went to hell, he was replaced by a monster who called himself the Governor. Milton had been fond of Penny, the young girl had been full of life she was as smart and gifted as her mother had been.

Milton slowly paced the room; the motion seemed to calm the girl. "You know Hope, you're so very lucky." Hope's thumb worked itself into her mouth, the sock started to slowly rub against her cheek. "I don't think you'll ever understand the trouble and love you create." Milton sighed. He stopped pacing and slowly turned, Beth stood in the entrance of the barn.

"Carl told me she chewed Sophia's finger off. I thought you may need help." Beth held her arms out ready to receive a grumpy Hope. "Would you like to take a walk with us? It helps her sleep." Milton gave a light nod; he waited for Beth to lead the way.

The trio started a slow walk around the farm. Beth watched Milton; he was a strange sort of man. At first looks people could assume he was strange or freaky. The man didn't seem to interact well with most people, but if you took a second look you'd notice a smart, funny man who despite his timid exterior had the heart of a lion. The day the walkers broke in Milton's first thought had been the children's safety above his own.

Hope gave a small whine. "She's grown so much." Milton watched as Hope tried to fight the sleep trying to take over her body. "I remember Philip bringing her back to our group."

"Philip?" Beth asked she was interested in all information she could gather on the Dixon clan. Even though she considered herself as Merle's, Beth still found the family an intricate tapestry of mysteries and secrets. She still felt like an outsider.

"The Governor." Milton replied. "He went back for Hope as soon as the outbreak hit, at the time Woodbury was noting more than a handful of people and a dream. She was so small. Penny….that was the Governor's daughter loved her so much." Milton smiled. "She used to love pretending Hope was her little sister."

"What happened to Penny?" Beth looked down at Hope, her eyes were closed now.

"She died...it was a tragic." Milton replied sadly. "I couldn't...I..." Milton tried to shake the memory away.

"You don't have to talk about it if it's to hard." Beth felt bad for starting the conversation.

Milton stopped walking he looked up at the sky. "It was exactly two months after the outbreak. We had been traveling for days; we were all hungry and exhausted. We found the Wiltshire Estates; it was gated off from the outside world...safe. Or so we thought." Milton looked back down at Beth. "In the middle of the night biters broke into the house we were staying in. I was supposed to be looking after Penny but Hope started crying in another room, so I ran to her. A biter was in the room, I killed it with a candlestick...it was the first time I'd ever killed one." Milton played with one of Hope's curls. "Then I heard a gunshot, one of the men, Bobby Marsh had been attacked by a biter. He panicked and tried to shot it." He squeezed his eyes close. "The bullet missed the bitter and hit Penny in the chest."

Beth held Hope tighter to her chest. "That's terrible, but Milton if you hadn't gone for Hope she'd be dead. If Merle and Daryl knew they'd be..."

"I killed a child." Milton interrupted. "Penny died because I wasn't watching her. I'm the reason Philip went mad with grief. Don't you see, Woodbury, the Governor, all those deaths...they're my stupid mistake."

Beth could see the pain in Milton's eyes; he'd been carrying the guilt around for too long. She gave him a kiss on the cheek. "You're the reason Hope is alive and I'm grateful for it."

Milton didn't feel he deserved Beth's gratitude. He kept replaying the night in his head when he was alone. He'd keep going over his notes trying to find a way he could have saved Penny. Even after her death Milton tried his hardest to rectify his mistake, he thought he could cure her.

Black clouds started to roll across the blue sky. "We should go in, looks like bad weather."

* * *

Thunder rumbling overhead woke Beth first, and then she heard cries of pain. Beth had decided to spend the night in the Dixon bed; she hadn't bother putting Hope on her crib. The little girl was in the bed with her still cuddling the dirty sock. The smell of the boys clung to the sheets comforting both of them.

Another pained cry filled the house. Beth climbed out of bed, she slowly opened the door. Patricia came striding down the hallway with towels in her hand.

"Patricia, what's happening?" Beth asked stepping out into the hallway.

"Lori's gone into labour, she needs a caesarean." Patricia hurried down the hallway and disappeared into the room at the end of the hallway.

Beth noticed Shane standing outside the closed door. Lori's cries rang out again, Shane started to nervously pace back and forth. Beth had heard the whispered rumours that Shane may be the father of Lori's unborn child. Shane seemed like he was a good man, but even good men crack under pressure. Beth could see no good coming from the doomed situation.

Another crack of thunder boomed making Beth jump, the storm was right above them now. Rain hammered down on the roof. Beth shivered she hoped the group were alright, they should have been back a few hours ago.

Hope could be heard stirring from inside the room, she whined and moaned. Beth re entered the room. She climbed back into the bed and wrapped her body around Hope. The little girl gave another whine she gripped the filthy sock tighter and settled back down. Beth let out a long yawn; she closed her eyes and tried to stop worrying about Merle.

* * *

Beth felt like she'd only just gone to sleep when a light prodding woke her.

"Hey girl." Merle's raspy voice greeted her as she opened her eyes.

Beth sat up in the bed, she rubbed her eyes. Daryl had Hope in his arms the dirty sock was being shoved up his nose; the smell didn't seem to bother him.

"Dada, Mine." Hope babbled happily but sleepily.

"You're back." Beth wrapped her arms around Merle's neck. "You're late."

"Didn't know you were timin' us Peach." Merle pulled away from Beth. "C'mon I'll walk you to your room."

Beth tried to hide her disappoint that Merle had pulled away from her so quickly. "Oh, I just thought I could stay here. I wouldn't want to disturb Patricia. She's been up with Daddy sorting out Lori and..."

Merle pulled Beth out of the bed. "You know your daddy's rules, c'mon now."

Merle turned to Daryl. "You and Squirt might as well go to sleep; I'll be back soon enough."

Merle dragged Beth out of the room but instead of stopping at her bedroom door he started pulling her downstairs.

"Where are we going?" Beth asked whilst trying not to stumble down the last few steps.

"Close your eyes." Merle gave a cough.

"Are you sick?" Beth asked concerned.

"I'm fine." Merle replied impatiently. "Now close ya god damn eyes."

Beth did as she was told. Merle opened the front door and led her out of the house. The rain had stopped now; she heard the sound of birds chirping softly, getting ready for their dawn chorus. Beth let out a little squeal as her naked feet made contact with the cold wet grass.

"Where are you taking me?" Beth felt mud squelch under her feet, it seeped between her toes.

Merle stopped walking. "Open your eyes."

Beth opened her eyes. A large trailer stood in front of her, mud and blood was splattered all over the bodywork. Despite its shabby appearance Beth instantly fell in love with her new home.

"Can I look inside?" Beth asked hopefully.

"Course you can, it's your home now."

Beth climbed into the trailer leaving a trail of muddy footprints as she went.

"It's beautiful." Beth kissed Merle. "Thank you."

Merle gave a large chesty cough. "We're gonna need to test the bed." Merle gave her a flirty wink.

"But you're sick." Beth placed her hand on Merle's forehead, he was burning up.

Merle gently pulled her hand away. "You listen girl; if the General is ready for action then I ain't sick."

"The General?" Beth asked in a confused tone.

Merle wiggled his eyebrows. "Well he was the Major but after baggin' you I decided he needed promotin'." Merle grabbed Beth and threw her over his shoulder before marching towards the bedroom. "Don't suppose you got a twin sister?" Merle asked before kicking open the bedroom door.


	35. Chapter 35

**Thanks for reading and reviewing. **

**Thanks to LostOne1775, xTroubleNGlitter, Annelisa, FanFicGirl10, Brazen Hussy, SeverusSnape'sLove, jessegdixon, VanityMayhem, NYANCAT56 and both Guest who reviewed. Thank you.**

**Just a quick thing, have any of you seen a short film called "Cargo"? It was a finalist in Tropfest Australia 2013. It's the most moving and beautiful thing I've ever seen, it's about seven or eight minutes long. If you haven't seen it, go on You Tube and take a look. I won't ruin it for you but it is Zombie related.**

* * *

**Chapter 35.**

"Merle...Merle." It was Beth's voice he knew that but it sounded so far away. "Merle." It was a little closer now, but she sounded like she was at the end of a long tunnel. Her voice was almost a whispered echo.

"Wha." Merle groaned into the pillow beneath him.

"Are you okay?" Beth sounded panicked.

Merle wasn't feeling well enough to calm a worried woman. "Fine." Merle felt like he couldn't breathe. He rolled on his back and let out a chest rattling cough.

Beth placed her hands on Merle's sweaty scarred chest. "Are you sure? We were making love and you blacked out."

Merle turned his head in Beth's direction. His usual blue eyes were bloodshot and watery. "Now I know your lyin' 'cause I ain't made love to no one, not even you." Merle let out a wheeze. "Did I finish you off?"

Beth blushed. "Yes...but." Beth didn't know what to say, it hadn't been like the first time. This time the encounter had been almost sloppy; Merle had seemed to be on autopilot.

"But nothin' I did my job so quit complainin'." Merle closed his eyes.

Beth shook Merle's body. "Merle...Merle." Merle muttered something inaudible. "I'm going to get daddy." She quickly left the room.

Beth raced across the farmyard and into the house. She felt her heartbeat heavily against her ribcage. She had never seen Merle sick before. Beth was scared, the last time she had seen anyone that sick it had been her mother before she turned. Beth didn't want to lose Merle, she couldn't lose anyone else.

"Daddy!" Beth cried out as she entered the house. "Daddy!"

Hershel came out of the dining room with Daryl and Tyreese by his side. "Beth what's wrong?" Hershel walked towards his trembling daughter.

"Merle's sick." Beth tried to hide her fear but failed, a single tear trickled down her cheek. "He's burning up and he passed out."

"Where is he?" Daryl asked. He knew Merle wasn't feeling well; he should have made him stay at the farm instead of going on the trailer run.

"In our trailer." Beth whimpered.

Daryl turned to Tyreese. "Look after Bug I gotta go." Before Tyreese could answer Daryl sprinted from the house.

"Daddy." Beth sniffed. "Please help him...I need him."

Hershel placed his hand on his daughter's cheek. "I'll get my bag and be right there."

Beth wrapped her arms around her father. "Thank you Daddy."

* * *

Daryl burst into the trailer his heart sank as he saw Merle sprawled out on the bed. His brother's skin was pale and wax like, he couldn't see if he was breathing or not. "Merle." Daryl whispered. Merle let out a low moan making Daryl's body tense up. "Merle...you okay?" Another low moan, Daryl moved slowly towards his brother. Merle's hand twitched as Daryl approached him. "Merle." Daryl repeated his brothers name this time a little louder.

"Piss off." Merle groaned back.

A large smile spread across Daryl's face. He'd never been so happy to hear his brother's voice.

Hershel entered the room with Beth right beside him. Daryl watched the old man examine his brother in the bed, Merle just laid there. Daryl then looked to Beth; the young blonde seemed shaken up by the sight of his sick brother. He wanted to comfort her but didn't know how.

"He's a tough asshole." Daryl muttered in Beth's direction. "He once wrestled a crocodile as a bet." Daryl didn't mention that both he and Merle were both high at the time, and as a result of their crocodile wrangling they received a lifetime ban from the local zoo.

Beth bit her lip as Hershel faced them. "It's nothing to be worried about, looks like a bad case of the flu, bed rest and plenty of fluids."

Merle's eyes opened, he gave a wheezy chuckle. "I got some fluids right..." Before he could finish he passed out.

* * *

Tyreese ran his hands through his short cropped hair. He dropped to his knees and looked under the dining room table. "Hope, come on now this isn't funny." He pleaded.

"What's not funny?" Sasha asked. "And what are you doing on your hands and knees...oh god...please don't tell me you lost Hope...you didn't, did you?"

Tyreese stood up. "I was holding her and she stole my hat. So I put her on the floor." Tyreese rubbed the back of his neck as he glanced around the room. "Then she said _hungy_, which I assumed was hungry so I turned around to get her some food...by the time I turned back around she was gone."

Sasha shook her head. "Ty, if the Dixon's find out about this..."

"But they won't because we'll find her before they get back." Tyreese added.

"Oh, _we_ will, will we?" Sasha emphasised the _we_.

Tyreese nodded. "Yes we will. Don't forget you still owe me for not telling mom and dad you dented the car when you took it for a joyride."

Sasha crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. "That was years ago."

Tyreese shrugged. "Still counts. Now are you going to help me?" He looked at Sasha with large begging eyes.

"Fine." Sasha started to whistle.

"Sash..."

"Shhhh. The boys whistle at Hope sometimes and she comes to them." Sasha whistled again.

Tyreese joined in, both siblings were walking around the dining room whistling. Giggling could be heard from the kitchen, Tyreese nodded towards the kitchen, they both slowly entered the room. Tyreese whistled again, another small laugh came from an open cupboard.

Sasha squatted down and looked into the cupboard. Hope sat inside she had Tyreese's woollen hat on her head. The large garment swamped her tiny head and covered her face.

"There you are, you little trouble maker." Sasha picked Hope out of the cupboard.

Hope cackled. "No."

Tyreese sighed with relief; he gently took his hat off of Hope's head. "You gave us a scare."

Hope made a grab for Tyreese's hat. "Gib it." Hope ordered.

"No, this is mine." Tyreese placed his hat back on his head. "You're a little thief."

Hope gave a little frown. "Pftt." She snorted. The little girl placed her hands either side of Sasha's face. "Lub ewe." She growled.

Tyreese chuckled. "Never have such sweet words sounded like a threat." He tickled Hope's cheek, the little girl tried to bite his finger. "I'm already late for watch, can you watch her until Daryl gets back."

"Sure thing." Sasha smirked. "But you owe me one."

Tyreese kissed Sasha and Hope on the forehead. "Thanks." Tyreese left the building.

Sasha walked through the house into the living room. "So, what do you want to do?" She placed the little girl on the floor and rummaged through Hope's over stuffed toy chest. Sasha pulled out Hope's large chunky crayons and a pad of paper. "How about we make a welcome card for the new babies of the house?"

"No baba." Hope replied.

Sasha sat down next to the little girl. "Yes babies." She folded one sheet of paper in half. "One for baby Chris." Sasha folded a second sheet. "And one for baby Grimes."

Hope pointed to the second folded piece of paper. "Carr."

"No, Carl isn't the Grimes baby, he's got a little baby sister, like you now." Sasha tried to explain.

"Baba Carr." Hope took a large purple crayon and started scribbling on the front of the piece of paper.

Sasha went back to the toy chest and pulled out the rest of Hope's art kit. The large box was filled with paints, felt tip pens, glitter, glue all in an array of colours and sizes.

Hope threw the purple crayon to the floor and grabbed a blue one, her tongue poked out of the corner of her mouth as she scribbled.

The front door opened. Sasha looked up to see Daryl standing over them. "Is everything okay?" Sasha asked.

Daryl flopped onto the floor next to Hope. "Yeah, Merle's sick. Beth's looking after him." Daryl softly rubbed the back of Hope's head. "What's goin' on here?"

"We're making welcome cards for the babies." Sasha replied.

"Babies?" Daryl questioned.

Sasha nodded. "Yep, haven't you heard? Lori gave birth late last night. Hershel had to preform a caesarean."

Daryl's eyes widened. He hadn't seen Rick since his return and Hershel hadn't mentioned anything this morning, but then again they had only been in the kitchen for a few seconds when Beth entered screaming. "Is she okay?"

"Both okay. Ricks up there now, she's a little girl." Sasha watched as hope banged her crayon against the paper.

"Baba Carr." Hope handed the folded paper to Daryl. "Dada, Baba Carr."

"Thanks sweetheart." Daryl kissed Hope's cheek. He looked at Sasha slightly confused.

Sasha handed Daryl a bright pink felt tip pen. "That's for baby girl Grimes. Open the paper up and write in it like a card."

Daryl took the pen. "Been a long time since I made a homemade card." Daryl started to write; Hope lent over and watched him form letters with the pen.

Sasha slid another sheet of paper over to Hope. "Okay sweetie, one for Chris." Hope bounced on her bum. She loved to draw, out came the yellow crayon and the scribbles started to fly across the crisp white paper. Sasha looked over at Daryl. "Who was the last?"

"Excuse me?" Daryl replied.

"The last person you made a card for." Sasha asked.

"Oh." Daryl played with the pen in his hand. "It was for my mom, for Mother's Day. When I was five, Merle went and stole some flowers from the neighbour's garden and I made the card."

Hope waved the other card under Daryl's nose. "Ere."

Sasha handed Daryl a blue pen and he wrote a small note inside. "Hey Bug, you wanna make a get well card for Mine?" Daryl placed the pen on the floor. "We can use your paint and shit."

"Ohhhhh shit." Hope squealed pointing to her large tubs of glitter.

Sasha shook the pot of gold glitter. "You know this is going to get messy."

Daryl handed the glitter to Hope; he pulled out a fresh sheet of paper and folded it. He then dabbed some glue on the paper. "Woman, if a kid is messy you know it's had fun." Daryl unscrewed the glitter tub. "Go for it Bug."

Hope shook the glitter tub up and down vigorously, golden flakes danced around in the air covering everything and everyone in its path. "More." Hope grabbed the silver glitter. "Peas." She handed it to Daryl. Her father opened the pot and the silver glitter flew.

Sasha laughed at Daryl; the redneck was covered in glitter. "What you laughin' at girl?" Daryl snorted playfully.

"You're sparkling like one of those Twilight vampires." Sasha felt her stomach start to tense up from laughing so hard.

"Oh yeah." Daryl grabbed the pot of green glitter; he pounced pinning Sasha's body beneath his and dumped the glitter over her. "Now who's the damn sparkly, girly, vampire?" Daryl felt a small amount of surprise from his actions. He would never usually pin and straddle a woman on the floor in such a manner, but he found himself getting lost in the moment. Hope seemed to have this affect on him, his little Bug could pull out his inner child with a flash of her blue eyes, and before he knew it the usual silent, surly man was a child once more.

Hope pulled herself to her feet she toddled over to Sasha and climbed on top of the pinned woman. "Dada." Hope laughed. "Go, go." Sasha was now at the bottom of a Dixon dog pile.

Daryl climbed off Sasha taking Hope with him. He blushed it was almost as if he was embarrassed by his actions. Daryl looked around at the glittery living room. "Look what you did Bug." Daryl raised an eyebrow and looked at his daughter.

"Nooooo, its Mine." Hope shook her head wildly. "Mine a Dada."

Sasha giggled and stood up; she tried her hardest to wipe the glitter from her clothes and skin. "I'm going to take a shower." Sasha grabbed the last pot of neon pink glitter off the floor. "Hey Daryl." Just as Daryl turned to face him she threw the pink glitter over both him and Hope. Sasha darted upstairs before Daryl could react to the glittery assault.

"What in the good Lords name has happened here?" Patricia yelled.

Hope pointed at Daryl. "Dada."

Daryl frowned at Hope in his arms. "You little rat."

Patricia was the brightest shade of red Daryl had ever seen, a large angry vein thumped on her forehead. "Daryl Dixon, it's hard enough to keep this place clean without you messing up the house. You better clean this mess up, you hear."

Daryl bowed his head. "Yes Ma'am."

"Opps." Hope patted Daryl's cheek.


	36. Chapter 36

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to DarylDixon'sLover, Annelisa, Micaela Beth Winchester, FanFicGirl10, jessegdixon, Brazen Hussy, Emberka-2012, SeverusSnape'sLove, and Smittendebs.**

* * *

**Chapter 36.**

It had been little over a week since the "Merle Flu" had hit the farm. The Dixon's sickness had claimed a few other group members. Carol, Andrea and Dale had all caught the dreaded sickness they had been placed in trailers and the RV as quarantine. The rest of the farm tried its hardest to function with the missing members.

Milton had started work on the generator. Due to the noise the machine would make a large pit needed to be built so any passing walkers would be snared, this made it easier than wading through a large group of walkers if ever the generator needed repairing. The job of digging the trench was a dangerous one. Walkers could sneak up on the digger at anytime, so the group had made an away team to take care of the generator. Everyday at first light Milton, Omid, T-Dogg, Shane, Rick and Glenn would set out and return at dusk.

Since Judith's birth, Shane and Rick's relationship had started to disintegrate. Shane wanted to spend time with his could be daughter without rousing the suspicions of Rick, but Lori would block him at any chance he got. His ex lover would tell him the little girl was Rick's and had nothing to do with him.

The budding friendship of Rick and Daryl didn't help matters either. Rick had asked Daryl along on the mission before Shane. The younger Dixon had politely declined, he wanted to spend time with his daughter. Shane had started to feel pushed out by Rick and pushed away by Lori, he was alone.

With the absence of Milton the school was put on the back burner, much to Carl's delight and with Carol sick and Beth looking after Merle childcare feel to the rest of the group.

* * *

Merle lay in bed, for the first time he was starting to feel better. Beth had been playing nurse to him; it was something Merle had initially fought. He didn't need Beth coddling him; he had always taken care of himself. He didn't need a woman babying him. It had been on the fifth day Merle realised that Beth would give her sick bear anything he wanted, no question asked. The only downside to his sickness was not being able to see Hope. Both Merle and Daryl had decided they didn't want their princess to become ill, so until Merle was well again Hope was off limits. The littlest Dixon missed her Mine and in her free time gave Beth drawings to take to Merle. All off Hope's pictures had been stuck on the walls of Merle's and Beth's bedroom making Merle smile every time he saw them.

Merle sprawled out in his large bed, the clean sheets felt nice against his naked body. He wondered if he could get another round of sympathy sex out of Beth, when the pretty blonde entered the room with a tray.

"How's my sick bear." Beth placed the tray on the nightstand. She was starting to worry about Merle; he didn't seem to be getting any better at all.

Merle gave a large sniff. "Not good girl, but y'know what would help me." Merle pulled his body up and patted the bed. "A little of your lovin'."

"I've brought you some soup. I can't wait until we can all move in here." Beth picked up the bowl of soup; she sat next to Merle on the bed. "Judith's birth is really causing problems."

Merle gave a grunt; he didn't care about the Grimes's latest addition. "Well that's what happens when you screw around behind your man's back and have another man's baby."

Beth frowned. "She thought Rick was dead."

Merle snorted into his soup. "Well I sure as hell hope if I go missin' you give me more than a couple of months before shackin' up with Daryl." He pointed the spoon at Beth. "And you certainly ain't gonna ever be havin' another mans baby. I'd kill ya both."

Beth rubbed Merle's stomach. "I could never replace you. Besides the only babies I'll be having are yours. I want at least three."

Merle chocked on a mouthful of soup. "Wha?" He spluttered.

Beth's hand travelled down under the sheet. "We've not been safe Merle, and you know I want babies. I just assumed you didn't care."

Merle jumped as Beth went touch him, his soup spilt over the clean bed. "I don't want no kids." Beth pulled her hand away at high speed, she looked hurt. "What I mean is, we got Hope an..."

"Hope would love a brother or sister and Hope is yours and Daryl, we have to share her." Beth took the bowl off the bed, she started to try and clean the mess.

Merle grabbed her hand. "Listen Peach, childbirth ain't safe..."

"Maggie and Lori did fine, and Christa is having a baby." Beth protested.

Merle sighed; he loved Hope to the moon and back. His baby may have been a mistake but she was the best one he'd ever made. Merle had never thought about more children. He stared at Beth, her pale blue eyes and perfect blonde hair. Would a child be so bad? "Listen, I ain't promisin' shit, if you get knocked up then it happens." Merle shrugged. "I just don't want you goin' to any extra lengths to get yourself all..." Merle wiggled his finger at Beth's stomach. "Y'know...fertile."

Beth raised an eyebrow; she didn't really understand what Merle meant. She had no idea how she could make herself more fertile, but she wasn't going to question him, after all he was giving her what she wanted.

"I promise I won't make myself more fertile." Beth could help but giggle a little.

"Good." Merle sniffed. "How's my little Squirt?" He quickly changed the subject.

"Daryl's taking her bug hunting around the farm." Beth striped the dirty blanket off the bed.

Merle yawned. "Don't seem all that long ago I was teachin' Lil D to catch bugs...course he used to eat most of them."

"That's disgusting. Why did you let him eat them?"

Merle shrugged he closed his eye. "Didn't hurt him any." He felt a clean blanket cover his body. Then he felt Beth's body curl into his.

Beth rubbed Merle's chest. "Just think when you get better; we can spend lazy mornings in bed with our children."

Merle didn't reply, it was easier to pretend to be asleep than start talking about babies again. A small smile snuck its way onto Merle's face as he found himself thinking about a farm full of Dixon's, all boys though, he didn't want Hope to have any competition. The little girl was his princess and nobody would ever take her place.

* * *

Daryl carried Hope in one arm and a bag full of empty jam jars in the other. Patricia wasn't going to be impressed with her missing jars, but then the woman didn't seem impressed by a lot, especially when it came down to the messier members of the group.

Daryl placed Hope down in the long grass; he dropped to his knees and carefully placed the bag of glass jars beside him. "You ready for some bug huntin'?"

Hope clapped her hands together. She wasn't sure what her Dada was talking about, all she knew was she loved him and she liked being outside. Hope always seemed happiest when she was set free in the farmyard. She'd toddle as fast as she could, pull up all the flowers she could find and worry the chickens by chasing them.

Daryl pulled one of the jars out of the bag, he unscrewed the lid.

"Now first thing you gotta do is place some grass and leaves in the jar." Daryl pulled up some grass and placed it in the old jam jar. "Like this."

Hope pulled at the long grass around her; Daryl guided her hand into the jar. "Atta girl."

Hope took another handful of grass and threw it at Daryl. "More."

"No thanks you baby, we got plenty." Daryl placed the jar on the ground. "Now we just gotta find a bug."

"Here." Hope yelled.

Daryl laughed. "Different kind of bug Bug."

"What are you doing?" A soft voice came from behind Daryl.

It was Clementine. She stood with her hands clasped firmly in front of her; she rocked back and forth on her heels.

"Bug huntin'." Daryl replied softly. He always found his tone naturally softening when he spoke to the little girl.

"Here." Hope shouted again.

Daryl stood up and looked around. "Where's everyone at?" He couldn't believe that Clementine had been allowed to roam around the farm by herself. Yes, the farm was safe but it would never be 100% safe, there would always be dangers lurking around. Daryl would never let Hope wander around alone and unguarded.

Clementine gave a small shrug. "Christa's talking to Lori and Maggie about grown up stuff, Caesar is on watch and Sasha is looking after the sick people."

"Carl and Sophia?" Daryl asked.

Clementine bit her lip as she dropped her gaze to the ground. "They're supposed to be looking after me, but Carl told me I was too young to hang around with them."

Daryl crossed his arms. "To young huh?" Daryl knew what Carl was up to. The young boy had currently started dating Sophia, he thought the group didn't know and most of them hadn't guessed yet, but Daryl had figured it out. Daryl also knew what sort of things were on a teenaged boys mind when it came to girls. "Well why don't, you, me and Bug go join 'em. He can't tell me I'm too young."

Clementine giggled. "No because you're really old."

Daryl snorted. "Hey I ain't that old." Daryl picked up Hope. "C'mon Bug lets go see Carl and Phia." He adjusted Hope so he held her in one arm; he then offered his spare hand to Clementine.

The little girl took Daryl's hand. "Are the sick people going to die?" She asked as they walked past the trailers.

Daryl could tell by Clementine's tone that she was worried. "Nah, they're just a little sick, y'know with colds and shit."

"Swear." Clementine chirped.

"Huh?" Daryl looked down at the girl in confusion.

"You said a swear." Clementine looked up at Daryl with large puppy eyes. "Swearing is bad. We used to have a swear jar at home."

Daryl raised an eyebrow. He was glad the swear jar never made it to the Dixon home, they would have been flat broke in twenty four hours. "Well it's lucky we ain't got one here."

Clementine let go of Daryl's hand and started to skip towards the barn. "We should. I'm going to ask Milton and Hershel about it."

Daryl frowned. "And what the hell would we put in there?"

Clementine gave a small shrug. "Chores and stuff."

Daryl tickled Hope under her chin. "If the swear jar comes here you're gonna be workin' every hour of the day Bug."

"Dada down now." Hope demanded as she watched Clementine skip towards the barn door.

Daryl ignored his daughter's demand and joined Clementine at the barn. "Here hold bug." He passed the baby to Clementine; the young girl struggled to hold the fidgeting child.

Daryl pushed open the barn door. Carl and Sophia were sat on a hay bale. The teenaged boy nearly jumped off the hay bale as Daryl entered the barn.

"What's going on here?" Daryl asked looking at the teens suspiciously.

Sophia looked up at Daryl with look of pure innocence. "Nothing, I wanted to do the homework Milton set us, and Carl suggested we use the barn because it's quiet in here."

Daryl raised a single eyebrow at Carl. "Well ain't that sweet of you." The young boy just huffed.

Clementine placed Hope down on the barn floor. "Dada bugs peas." Daryl looked down at his daughter who was now pulling on his pant leg. "Now." She whined.

Daryl ran his hand through his shaggy hair. He had been looking forward to spending time with Hope, but he didn't want to leave two hormonal teenagers alone together. Then again he wasn't either one of their parents so why should it matter to him what they did? Daryl bit his fingernails he looked from Carl to Sophia. He huffed the last thing he needed was another baby around the farm. With Hope, two new-borns and one on the way, the group were already multiplying like rabbits.

"Clem says you're supposed to be lookin' after her." Daryl questioned Carl.

Carl rolled his eyes, just lately he'd become a typical moody teenager. Daryl had never had a chance to go though that stage in life, an eye roll would have earned him a beating from his old man.

"She was being a pain." Carl replied moodily. "She wanted to go outside and play. So I told her to go and play."

Daryl was taken aback by Carl's new found disrespectful attitude. "And you couldn't do your school work outside?" Daryl found himself snapping back. Carl's response was just a shrug. "You and Sophia were asked to keep an eye on her."

Carl huffed. "I'm fourteen, which makes me an adult. I shouldn't be babysitting."

Carl's backchat was the last straw. "An adult huh? You wanna be treated like a grown man." Carl nodded. "And what about you 'Phia, you think your all grown up too?"

Sophia bit her lip; she wasn't raised to answer back. Her father had taught her what a smart mouth would get her. "No sir." She muttered as she refused to meet Daryl's eyes.

Daryl nodded towards the barn door. "C'mon Carl, you get to do a man's day of work. Phia look after the girls 'till I get back."

Daryl marched a sullen Carl out of the barn and across a field towards the house. Tyreese sat on a camping chair hunched over working on something in his hands.

"Hey Ty." Daryl called out. "Got you a helper for the day."

Tyreese looked up at Daryl and Carl approaching. "Thought you'd be sleeping D. You do know you're on night watch right?"

Daryl lightly pushed Carl forward; the boy's face fell when he noticed what Tyreese was doing. The man was skinning and gutting a rabbit.

"Yeah, just thought I'd get some time in with Bug, I don't need much sleep." Daryl placed his hand firmly on Carl's shoulder. "Carl seems to think he's too grown up to watch the little ones, so he's here for a hard days work."

A mischievous smirk crossed Tyreese's face. "Hard days work hey? Well I've got a hell of a lot of work that needs doing, starting with gutting the rest of these rabbits."

"But I don't know how to do that." Carl replied flatly.

Daryl patted Carl's shoulder. "Ty can teach ya how. I sure hope you ain't squeamish."

Tyreese pointed his knife at Carl. "Then we have wood that needs splitting and Martinez needs help with patching up the roof." He nodded. "A lot of work that needs doing, and with Rick and all away from the farm we need all the help we can get."

"What about Daryl?" Carl moaned. "He's just playing around with Hope, shouldn't he be doing this?"

Daryl gave a grunt. "I'm supposed to be in bed resting for double watch shift." Daryl replied. "I should be playin' with my baby girl, not sortin' you out."

Tyreese waved Daryl off. "I got him D, you go and enjoy yourself."

Daryl nodded in thanks and left Carl and Tyreese to their daily grind. Daryl felt proud of himself. If he'd have acted that way towards his old man he wouldn't be standing, but Daryl had dealt with Carl without using his fist. It had always been a lingering fear with Daryl that as Hope grew and hit her teenage years, he'd turn into his father and use his fist on his daughter. After today he was pretty sure he could cope with a teenage Hope. At least there wouldn't be a large amount of men around, there would only be Chris and with him and Judy so close in age the boy was bound to go for the Grimes girl over Hope.

Daryl entered the barn to find Clementine and Sophia trying to teach Hope how to play pat a cake. Hope was sat on Sophia's lap opposite Clementine. Sophia gently moved Hope's hands in time with the rhyme both girls were singing.

_"Pat a cake,_

_Pat a cake,_

_Baker's man,_

_Bake me a cake as fast as you can, _

_Roll it, and pat it, and mark it with B,_

_Put it in the oven for baby and me."_

Daryl smiled as Hope clapped her hands at the end of the song.

"Baba." She cheered. Hope swivelled her head in Daryl's directing. "Dada." She wriggled free from Sophia and made her way to Daryl. "Dada no bug." Hope wrapped her arms around his leg.

Daryl looked at all three girls. "What?"

Sophia stood up. "We decided we didn't want to hunt bugs."

"It's icky." Clementine added.

Daryl looked slightly disappointed as he scooped up Hope in his arms. "But Bug, its fun."

Hope wildly shook her head. "No bug." Hope replied adamantly. "Tea."

Daryl squinted at Sophia and Clementine, he'd only been gone for a few minutes and the girls had turned his little tomboy into a girl. "Tea?" He repeated.

It was Clementine's turn to nod. "Yes we want a tea party. Sophia says Hope has a tea set."

Daryl gave a small pout. Hope did have a tea set; she had never really used it as a tea set. Hope had tended up use the plastic cups as missiles; she would launch them at people during one of her mood swings. "I ain't playin' tea party, I'm a man. How about we compromise? We can play bar."

Clementine tilted her head. "How do we play that?"

"Well I'll be the barman and you lot can be my customers. Then towards the end of the game, two of you end up brawlin' and I'll throw you out." Daryl explained.

Sophia crossed her arms. "That doesn't sound fun."

"Sure it is Merle and I used to play it all the time." Daryl looked at Hope. "Tea or bar?" He asked his baby.

Hope played with Daryl's shaggy sideburns. "Bar." She squealed in his ear. "Bar, bar, bar." Daryl smiled, he'd won for now.

* * *

Rick slowly walked around the tree line of the field where the generator was being set up. The small group took it in turns to patrol and dig. T-Dogg, Glenn and Shane were digging the large walker trench, whilst Omid and Milton started to piece together the generator.

Rick stopped walking and watched Shane wipe away sweat from his brow. Since the birth of Judith everything had changed. Lori had told Rick something he already knew, she had slept with Shane in his absence. Rick wasn't stupid he could see that something had happened between his wife and best friend, what he hadn't realised was how deep the feelings ran. Lori had told Rick something he didn't want to hear. Shane was in love with her, he wanted to be with her and raise Carl and Judith. He needed to talk to Shane and set him straight on the matter; Carl, Lori and Judith were his family not Shane's.

Rick placed his hands on his hips as he watched his friend approach to take over watch duty; he guessed this would be as good a time as any.

Shane strode over to Rick with his shotgun over his shoulder. "Your turn to dig. It should be deep enough by the end of the day."

Rick took a deep breath. "Shane you and I need to talk. I can't thank you enough for what you did for Lori and Carl when I was gone."

Shane shrugged. "Anyone would do the same."

Rick shook his head. "No they wouldn't." He looked Shane deep in the eyes. "Lori told me...she told me about you two."

At first Shane's body went rigid, and then relief swept through him, the truth was out. This was it, no more hiding. "Look Rick..."

"Save it, I understand times were stressful, but I'm back now." Rick stepped forward towards Shane, his body langue displaying all the dominance he could muster.

Shane took a step back he gave a light snort. "That's my baby..."

"Lori says she's mine." Rick cut in.

"Hell no, you're not that dumb, she's mine. You're already putting Carl in danger I'm not letting you put my girl in harms way." Shane growled.

"What you saying?" Rick noticed Shane's grip tighten on the shotgun.

"That you're no leader; you can't make the tough calls Rick." Shane couldn't stop, the floodgate was open and there was no closing it. "You see you're the nice guy, but there's no place for nice in this world. You keep bringing in strays, we don't know if they're safe around the group."

"Have I been wrong so far?" Rick sighed. "I'm trying to do what's right for everyone."

"You need to do what's right for your family, to hell with everyone else. Lori, Carl and Judith, that's all that should matter." Shane barked back.

"And where should you fit in?" Rick found his hand lingering on his knife. "Right now you're a threat to me and my family. You think you're a better man for them, for this group?"

Before Shane could answer gunshots and shouting could be heard from the rest of the group. Both men looked towards the group. A swarm off walkers had snuck up on the men. They were now stranded on the roof of the vehicles the group had brought with them. Even with the guns the four men were severely outnumbered. One of the walkers tried to grab Milton's foot, T-Dogg made a headshot.

"Shit." Rick whispered under his breath. "We have to save them."

Shane looked on in horror as the walkers surrounded both vehicles, their rotting hands grabbed at the men on top of them.


	37. Chapter 37

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to DarylDixon'sLover, LostOne1775, Micaela Beth Winchester, SeverusSnape'sLove, Annelisa, Emberka-2012, Smittendebs, Brazen Hussy, FanFicGirl10 and the Guest who reviewed.**

* * *

**Chapter 37.**

Time seemed to slow down for Rick as he watched his friends trapped on top of the two vehicles. T-Dogg, Glenn and Omid had started shooting any walkers that came too close to them. Milton didn't know what to do, he didn't carry a weapon but he was starting to wish he did.

"We need to distract the walkers." Rick turned to Shane.

Shane stood with his mouth open. Why would they want to bring a group of walkers to them? It was suicide. "You're kidding me?"

Rick looked around for something that could help him. "Those people are our friends...our family."

"See, this is what I'm talking about." Shane grabbed Rick's shoulder. "They're as good ad dead Rick. We don't go back. We established that rule back at the quarry, until you..."

"Went back for Merle Dixon." Rick pulled away from Shane, he glared at the man. "You were going to leave the group in the mall for dead."

Shane's jaw clenched a little. "There's no point in risking all our lives."

Rick shook his head; he pulled his gun from its holster. "I'm going to save them, like Glenn saved me. Are you coming?"

Shane stared hard at Rick; he knew he wasn't backing down anytime soon. "This is suicide." Shane muttered. "What if you die, what about Lori and the kids?" Rick turned away from Shane; he crouched down low and made his way towards the group.

Shane huffed in frustration. Rick didn't understand. Shane wasn't being heartless or mean, he was surviving and by him staying alive, Lori, Carl and Judith would survive. Rick had to learn not everybody could be saved. Shane silently followed Rick towards the men. Each car had been surrounded by hungry walkers grabbing for the men on top of the vehicle.

"Do you have a plan?" Shane hissed as he watched Glenn fire a shot at a walker who got too close.

Rick looked around he couldn't see anyway to help his friends. "We need to draw as many of them away as we can." Rick he aimed his gun and took down a walker. The gunshot made a small group of walkers turn in their direction.

"You've got to be kiddin' me." Shane looked at Rick as if he'd gone crazy. "We're gonna end up dead." Shane took aim and started shooting at the walkers that had broken away from the group.

Rick took another one out. "We just need to keep shooting 'till the others can get into the vehicles." Rick replied.

More walkers grew tired of trying to catch the men on top of the cars and started to lurch towards Rick and Shane.

"And what about us?" Shane snapped back bitterly.

Rick took down walker after walker. He looked away for a second to check on the others. Rather than heading straight to the vehicles the other men had fought their way off the cars and started to help Rick and Shane. Even Milton had picked up a screwdriver and started slaying any walkers that came towards him.

Looking away from the oncoming walkers was a huge mistake; before Rick knew it one of the hideous rotting creatures grabbed his arm. Rick tussled with the creature, he lost balance and both he and the walker hit the floor. Rick's gun flew across the ground landing just out of his reach. He grabbed the walker's wrists to stop it from scratching him, but he couldn't stop its gnashing jaws coming any closer.

Shane had seen Rick fall. He watched as the walker tried to take a chunk out of his throat. Shane raised his gun, and for a second he hesitated. He thought about how everything would change if Rick had this unfortunate accident. With Rick out of the picture Lori would be his once more, he could raise Carl and Judith. Shane would protect them all. He watched Rick attempt to push the walker away. Before Shane could decide what to do Glenn raced forward and buried a knife deep in the walker's skull. He pulled Rick to his feet.

"Thank you." Rick patted Glenn on the back. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Shane, his friend had betrayed him.

The men looked at the sea of dead bodies around them. Omid gave a little whistle. "That was a lot of geeks. We should go in to walker waste disposal." He jested.

T-Dogg scratched the back of his neck. "And I bet all the gunfire has attracted more of them."

Rick nodded in agreement. "We better call it a day, come back tomorrow." Rick and Shane both glared at each other. Each man knew their conversation was far from over.

* * *

The group returned to the farm just as dusk was setting in. The tension between Rick and Shane was apparent to anyone who was near the men.

Sasha was standing on watch with Daryl. She didn't need to be there, the redneck had it covered, but she had decided he needed food and in the cold night air a hot drink wouldn't go amiss. She watched the group unload the cars; even from this distance Sasha could tell there was a heavy atmosphere between Rick and Shane.

"They don't look happy." Sasha pulled her cardigan tighter around her.

Daryl chewed on a chunk of meat. "Never are lately." He gave a small snort. "Women, more trouble than they're worth."

Sasha scowled; she gave Daryl a gentle slap on his arm. "Hey, don't base all women on one person's mistake."

Daryl finished the last of his meal. "I ain't. It's the truth, you put a woman between two men and holy shit will break out." Daryl stated bluntly. "Women want to be protected, it's not their fault it's how nature programmed them. Look at Beth and Merle."

Sasha felt somewhat offend by Daryl's views on women. She found herself wondering if this is why he was currently alone. With his trust issues and views on the female race, Daryl had no reason to want to enter into a romantic relationship.

"You know, I could say the same about men. All I see is a group of Neanderthals banging their chests, and fighting with each other over who owns the most." Sasha turned away from Daryl. "Me man, me hunt and take care of women folk." Sasha grunted like a caveman. "Maybe us woman can take care of ourselves. Not all of us want men fighting over us or fighting for us." Daryl stood still; he didn't know what to say. He hoped by standing still and staying silent Sasha would stop her rant and they could go back to talking about other things. Daryl was greatly mistaken; his silence seemed to anger Sasha more. "I'm going inside. Don't worry I'm sure I can find my way back without a man to guide me." Sasha climbed down from the platform and stormed off towards the house.

Daryl watched her go, he wasn't sure what he had said or done wrong. He highly doubted if he would ever understand women. He scratched the back of his neck, he should find some books the next time he went on a supply run. Hope was going to turn into a woman eventually, and he could do with having some sort of information on how to deal with them. Surely there was a book out there that explained how girls worked.

Daryl's thoughts were interrupted by Rick climbing up the ladder. He joined Daryl and stood silently for a few moments. "I want you to come with me tomorrow. Is that going to be okay?" Rick asked.

Daryl nodded. "Merle should be fine to watch Bug." Daryl glanced sideways at Rick. "Things didn't go well?"

Rick placed his hands on his hips. "It's just easier. Ty or Sasha can take night watch."

Daryl scowled. "You may wanna ask Ty. Sasha is a bit...hormonal at the moment."

"You didn't say that to her, did you?" Rick replied at lightening speed.

Daryl started to bite his finger nails. "No." He muttered between chews.

A small smirk spread across Rick's face. "Women huh?"

"Amen." Daryl sighed.

"So about Carl." For the first time in the day Rick felt relaxed. "Thank you. Tyreese said you handled him well."

Daryl felt pride swell inside him. "Ain't nothin' he's a good kid, he's just learnin'."

Rick chuckled. "Well according to Lori he went to bed early, but not before showing off his very first blister on his hand."

The sound of walking could be heard below them. "Rick you wanted me?" Tyreese called up.

Rick looked down at the burly man. "Can you take over watch tonight, I need Daryl tomorrow."

"Sure thing." Tyreese was happy to oblige.

Daryl and Rick climbed down they met Tyreese on the ground. Tyreese placed his hand on Daryl's shoulder stopping him from walking away.

"Listen D, I'm not sure what you said but you may want to apologise to Sasha. She's royally pissed at you."

Daryl sighed. How could he apologise when he didn't know what he'd done wrong?

Daryl and Rick walked towards the house both exchanging small talk about the days event. As the entered the house both men said their good nights and went their separate ways.

Daryl walked into his room to discover Sasha sitting on the end of the bed with a grumpy Hope in her arms.

"She woke up. Beth asked me to keep an eye on her whilst she went to check on the sick people." Sasha rubbed Hope's back.

Daryl placed his crossbow on the floor. "Uh...thanks." He took Hope from Sasha and slowly rocked the grumpy toddler in his arms. "Look about what happened earlier...I..."

"Dada shh." Hope moaned into her father's chest.

Sasha stood up, she walked over to Daryl. "It's okay." She didn't expect Daryl to understand why she was upset, but the sorry look on his face was enough for her.

Sasha ruffled Hope's hair. "No." The girl squealed. "Sleep."

"Okay little miss." Sasha smiled at Daryl. "Night Daryl." She had no idea what had happened in Daryl's past to make him so uncomfortable around people, all she knew was she wanted to help fix him.

"Night." Daryl returned the smile. Once Sasha had left the room he turned his attention back to Hope. "What's the matter Bug, did you have a bad dream?" Daryl cooed at his child.

Hope didn't answer she buried her face deep into Daryl's chest and with a few more gentle rocks she slipped into a peaceful sleep.

* * *

Morning arrived and Merle was greeted by the sound of birds chirping outside his trailer. He kept his eyes closed and smiled contentedly as he listened to the soft chirps. Merle was happy; he doubted he had even been happy in his life. His girls and Daryl all together safely under one roof was all he needed. It was better than any high he had ever been on.

"Hey Merle, you awake?" Daryl slowly entered the room, he didn't want up disturb a sleeping Merle.

Merle opened one eye to look at his little brother who was now hovering over him. "You better have a good reason why you're here and not Peach." Merle sat up in bed and rubbed his face with his hand. "'Cause y'know she has a way of wakin' me up in the morin' that you just can't do baby bro."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "I'm out at the generator today. They had walker issues yesterday."

"Say no more." Merle swung his legs out of the bed. "Squirt needs her Mine."

Daryl looked at Merle with a touch of concern. Merle still looked pale and clammy. "You sure you're okay." He went to help his brother up off the bed.

Merle slapped Daryl's hand away. "I'm fine, I don't need ya help." Merle snapped. "I'm gonna grab a shower and I'll meet you at the house. Now I'm as naked as a new-born under these sheets brother. So unless you want to get cock envy I suggest you take your scrawny ass outta here." Daryl turned to leave. "Hey, Daryl."

"What?" Daryl asked only turning his head in his brother's direction.

"Don't do anythin' stupid." Merle's usually hard face was now soft and filled with emotion. "Squirt needs ya."

Daryl gave a light nod. "Be back before nightfall." Daryl left Merle to prepare himself for the day.

After a quick wash Merle made his way down to the farmhouse. He quietly entered and slunk into the kitchen. Beth had her back turned to Merle; she was preparing Hope's breakfast and humming to herself. Hope had spotted Merle but before she could say anything Merle placed his finger on his lips. Hope giggled and mimicked her father; her chubby finger went straight to her lips.

Merle slowly moved forward, he looked like a tiger stalking its prey. Once he was close enough Merle made a grab for Beth. His arms wrapped themselves tightly around her waist. Merle spun Beth around making her squeal in surprise.

"Merle." Beth laughed as she threw her head back exposing her delicate neck.

Merle took full advantage of Beth's position. He placed small kisses all the way up her neck until her reached her ear. Merle nuzzled his face into her soft, sweet smelling hair. "The General and I missed ya this mornin' sugar."

Beth's body seemed to melt into Merle's; he had complete control of it. "I'm sorry, Daryl wanted to see you."

"Well what ya doin' now." Merle asked in his seductive husky tone.

Merle's smooth voice made Beth's knees go weak. She had almost forgotten what she was doing before he got hold of her. "Making Hope's breakfast, and if you don't let me go she won't be getting any."

A small banging sound made both Merle and Beth turn. Hope was banging her tiny fists on her highchair.

"Hungy." She yelled impatiently.

Merle let go of Beth and walked slowly towards his daughter. "Aww c'mon Squirt, I need a little lovin'."

Hope shook her fist at Merle. "No."

Merle's brow furrowed and he put on his best puppy dog face. "C'mon now baby, you love me don't ya? You wouldn't hit me?"

Merle placed his face close to Hope's, her little fist made contact with the side of his face. "Hungy Mine."

Merle barked in laughter at his daughter's fire, Beth however was disgusted. "Hope no, hitting is bad." Beth scolded.

Merle held the side of his face. "Hey, the girl needs to learn how to hold her own." Merle ruffled Hope's hair. "Isn't that right my princess?" Hope made another swing with her fist, she gave a little growl. "Growlin' now as well, you best be careful we don't mistake you for an animal." Hope's other fist flew. Merle placed his hands up in a mock display of fear. "Hooooly shit. We got fuckin' Rocky Balboa in the room."

Beth pushed past Merle; she pulled Hope out of her chair. "Merle it's not funny. We should be punishing this sort of behaviour."

Merle scowled. All he was hearing was an attack on his parenting skills. "You sayin' I ain't raisin' my baby right?" All the playfulness had left Merle; he was now in his natural defensive mode.

"I'm not saying you're a bad dad, I'm saying Hope needs to learn the difference between right and wrong." Hope wiggled around in Beth's arms trying to break free. "And punching people is wrong."

Merle snatched Hope from Beth's arms. "Then I guess I'm wrong." Merle placed his face close to Beth's his voice was no more than a growl. "Maybe you should settle for a wrong man."

Beth pulled her body away from Merle. If being with him had taught her one thing, it was sometimes she needed to be tough. Merle's body language screamed anger, but his beautiful eyes just showed hurt and fear. Beth had hit him with his one and only fear, the fear that he wasn't a good dad.

"Merle no." Beth kept her tone light and firm. "You're not wrong in anyway. You're a good man. What you've been through is wrong." Merle took a few steps back he kept a tight grip on Hope who was now pulling on Merle's ears. "Yes, Hope needs to learn to look after herself, but she can't go around using her fists when she doesn't like something she hears." Merle looked down at his little girl. For the first time in his life he was lost for words. He was thrown off by Beth and her newly found bold, strong attitude. Beth slowly moved towards Merle, making sure she didn't spook him. Beth placed her hands either side of Merle's face. "You've made me stronger and more able to take care of myself without even knowing it." She placed a kiss on Merle's lips. "I can now stand up for myself and be strong, without using my fists, and it's because if you."

Merle didn't know how to react; he had never had anyone be grateful to him before. So Merle dealt with it the only way he knew how to, he ignored it.

"Damn Peach don't go gettin' all girly on me. Now we can stand around here all day actin' like a bunch of damn pussies, or you can feed us and we can go clean out out home." Merle wiggled his eyebrows at Beth. "Maybe when Squirt takes a nap me and you can get some alone time in."

"Hungy!" Hope yelled as she tugged on Merle's ear. "Mine, peas."

Merle kissed his little girl's face. "Well ask Peach."

Hope swivelled her head in Beth's direction. Her eyes were watery and wide. "Meth, peas hungy."

Beth stroked Hope's cheek. "Time for eggs."

Merle took a seat at the table; he placed Hope on his lap. "Eggs." Hope moaned.

"Y'know I could do with some bacon." Merle said wishfully.

"You get me a couple of breeding pigs and we can all have bacon." Hershel replied as he entered the kitchen. He looked at Merle. "Are you sure you should be up?"

"Strong as an ox me." Merle answered. "You serious 'bout wantin' a few pigs?" Merle enquired.

Hershel sat at the table opposite Merle. "A boar and sow wouldn't go amiss, we could start breeding them. It would mean more food for the farm."

"I'll keep my eyes open next time I go out on a hunt. Never know our luck." Merle jiggled Hope on his knee making her giggle.

Hershel smiled at the young girl. "I found something for Hope, I'll go get it." Hershel got up and left the room.

It only took a few second for the farmer to return. He carried with him a wheel with animal stickers on the outer edge. On the inside of the wheel was an arrow with a picture of a farmer on it. He placed it in front of Hope.

"What's that?" Merle looked at the strange object.

Beth walked over with breakfast. "It's my old Say 'N See." She placed the food on the table. "Look Hope."

The arrow was pointing to a picture of a dog. Beth pulled down the bright yellow lever on the side of the wheel and the arrow span around. "The dog goes Woof." The wheel spoke as it span around. The arrow landed on a cow.

Hope's eyes lit up. All of a sudden breakfast wasn't important anymore. Her chubby hand pulled on the lever and the arrow span around. "The cow goes Moo." The toy told the girl.

Hope clapped her hands "More." She screamed at the toy.

Beth took her place next to Merle. She fed Hope a spoonful of scrambled egg as the little girl kept playing with the toy.

"This is a pig. Oink Oink." The machine spoke.

The pig noise made Hope spit out her eggs in surprise. She heard a similar noise come out of her Mine once before. Hope looked up at Merle and giggled, she swung her legs back and forth kicking Merle's knees. "Mine." She pointed at the picture of the pig. Hope made a snorting noise.

Beth covered her mouth to hide her smile. Hershel laughed along with Hope. "Does Mine sound like a pig?"

Hope nodded and grunted again. Merle pouted. "I don't make them sounds."

"Doooooo." Hope yelled grunting some more.

"Don't." Merle protested. "Peach?"

Beth bit her bottom lip. "You do snore something fierce when you sleep."

Merle just pouted. "Stupid toy." He muttered. "All I had growin' up was a stick and a length of rope and I did fine."

Lori and Maggie entered the room carrying the babies. Hope looked up at the women. "Moo." She yelled.

Lori frowned. "Excuse me?"

Merle turned his head in Lori's direction and shrugged. "Hey, get over it, I'm a pig and you two are cows. At least none of us are jackasses."

"Hope's been playing with my old See 'N Say." Beth explained.

Maggie smiled. "I'm surprised the battery's still going."

As Merle finished the last of his breakfast the rest of the group started to enter the kitchen. Carol, Andrea and Dale were all still too sick to attend the morning ritual. Martinez's smiling face entered the room with Sasha by his side.

"The rooster says Cock-A-Doodle-Doo!" The toy spoke again.

"Cock a poo." Hope clapped her hands.

Martinez laughed. "Man, my little girl had one of them." He squatted down next to Hope and Merle. "This was my favourite." He moved the arrow to the picture of a turkey.

"Here's a turkey. Gobble gobble gobble."

The long loud gobbling noise made Hope jump. She looked at the wheel in utter shock. Martinez mimicked the turkey noise. Hope's head swished in his direction at top speed, she looked down at the man as if he was crazy.

"Cock a Poo." Hope crowed.

Martinez stood up ruffling Hope's hair. "Hey Merle, you wanna take watch today?" Martinez could see Merle was still a little under the weather, and morning watch was an easy job. "Shane's already asked for night watch."

"Sure thing." He handed Hope to Beth. "Once I'm done on watch we can start on our trailer." Merle kissed both his girls.

"Cock a Poo!" Hope yelled as Merle left the room.

* * *

The day past in a blur, The Dixon's home was now near perfect. Merle had pulled out all electrical products from the trailer and placed them to one side for Milton.

Hope's room had been the first room Merle had started on. Her crib had been placed in the room along with a small amount of her stuffed animal collection. The little room that had once been used as a study had now become Hope's personal play room.

Beth had sorted out the pull out sofa in the living area and dressed it up for Daryl. She had even made Merle and Tyreese carry a chest of drawers down from the house so she could place Daryl's clothes in there for him.

The cupboards had been emptied and the salvageable food had been placed in the farmhouse pantry, all except for a box of Poptarts. Merle, Beth and Hope had eaten the whole box, saving one pack for Daryl. Hope had been on a sugar high for the rest of the afternoon. She sat in the doorway of the trailer with her new toy copying all the animal noises. Anytime someone past by she would randomly make an animal noise. Merle had panicked when his girl became silent. He rushed to the doorway only to find Hope curled up sleeping, her See 'N Say clutched close to her chest. It was Hope Dixon's first sugar crash.

The group returned just as night started to set in. Milton proudly told the group the generator was up and running.

Rick stood back from the group as he watched them celebrate. He looked out the window. Shane was standing on watch, Rick decided this was it; he needed to settle everything with Shane. Rick silently left the house; he made his way down the yard and towards Shane.

Rick climbed the ladder and stood on the platform. The men squared up to each other, this was going to be the final showdown and they both knew it. The winner would take it all.

"We need to talk." Rick said sternly. "You either need to back away from my family or leave."

Shane didn't take the ultimatum well; he pushed his body close to Rick's. "That baby is mine, so how about we let Lori decided."

"She already has." Rick growled.

Shane snorted. "No way man, she picked you out of loyalty. She doesn't love you, she asked me to stay." Rick balled his fist.

Something whizzed past Rick's head and landed on the ground below them. Both men looked down as smoke started to fill the yard.

"Smoke bombs." Rick looked at Shane in disbelief as two more flew by.

"Get everyon..." Shane got cut short as an arrow flew through the air and caught him in the throat. Shane's body fell from the stand and disappeared into the smoke.

"Shane!" Rick called down. He was about to climb down when another arrow came soaring towards him. This arrow hit Rick in the back; it became wedged deep in his shoulder. Rick tumbled to the ground screaming in agony.

The smoke and pained cries had brought the rest of the group out. Merle pushed Beth back into the farm house. "Stay inside with Squirt until I say otherwise." He pulled his gun from his waistband and handed it to Milton. "Milty, protect my girls."

Daryl grabbed his crossbow. "Merle, c'mon."

"Brownie, Shorty, make sure nobody's snuck in. The rest of you with me." Merle gave his orders and to his surprised no one argued. The men joined him, all except for Milton who was left to protect the house with Hershel.

Merle led the group with Daryl by his side. They slowly moved through the smoke keeping their eyes opened for any danger. Tyreese coughed as the smoke burned his eyes. As the men moved deeper into the smoke a slumped mass came into view.

"Daryl." Rick moaned. Daryl ran to Rick's crumpled body. "Carl..."

"Shh now." Daryl motioned to T-Dogg and Tyreese, the men each took one of Rick's arms and slowly led him towards the house.

"Where's Walsh?" Merle asked trying to pinpoint the other man through the smoke.

"Merle, look out!" Daryl yelled as he loaded his crossbow. A reanimated Shane came lumbering towards Merle through the haze. He made a grab for Merle; a low pitched moan came from the dead man. Merle turned with catlike reflexes, he raised his bayonet and jammed it deep into Shane's eye.

Merle dislodged Shane's body from his knife. He knew they couldn't do anything until the smoke cleared. "Back to the house!" Merle yelled.

The group stood in the house, everyone was silent. The news of Shane's death and Rick's injury had shaken most of the group. Hershel was tending to Rick with the help of Patricia. Carl and Lori stood outside the bedroom door just waiting and hoping for the best.

As the smoke cleared Merle, Daryl and Martinez went to make sure the farm was safe.

"What the hell was that?" Daryl asked Merle.

Merle crossed his arms. "No idea, someone must have been planin' that for a while."

Martinez came jogging towards the brothers with a piece of paper in his hands. "Found this." He handed it to Merle. "It was stuck to the front gate with an arrow."

Merle read the note.

_"This was just a friendly warning to show what we are capable of._

_Bring half of your supplies to the old bar in the main town in three days time. If you don't then next time we won't be so friendly."_

The three men looked at each other. They had no idea who these people were, or how they'd found them but they were dangerous.


	38. Chapter 38

**Thanks for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to DarylDixon'sLover, Brazen Hussy, SeverusSnape'sLove, Micaela Beth Winchester, jessegdixon, Emberka-2012, FanFicGirl10, Smittendebs and Annelisa.**

* * *

**Chapter 38.**

Shane's body had been wrapped up in an old bed sheet and placed in the barn until a proper burial could take place in the morning. Tyreese, Daryl, Martinez and Merle had decided to spend the night patrolling the farm. The only ones allowed out of the farm house were Hershel and Patricia to check the sick. Merle had made sure the couple had a chaperone to walk them from the house to the trailers and back again. He wasn't risking anyone else.

Patricia and Hershel had just finished checking on Carol. The woman seemed to be over the worst of the sickness now. All the patients were.

Patricia stood at the kitchen sink in one of the trailers. She looked out of the window into the darkness. She noticed Merle's outline walk past the trailer for a third time. "You know it's strange." Patricia watched as Merle stopped and tilted his head listening to something.

"What is?" Hershel asked.

"Merle Dixon. Every time we move to another trailer he seems to patrol right outside." Merle's muttered voice could be heard exchanging conversation with Omid, who had been the couple's escort for the short trip.

Hershel didn't say anything; he knew why Merle was being protective. He was doing it for Beth. The Greene's were a close knit family and Merle knew the loss of anymore relatives could tip Beth over the edge, so the best way to look after the youngest Greene was to protect her kin.

Hershel and Patricia left Carol to her sleep, they quietly exited the trailer. Merle gave the old farmer a small nod, which Hershel returned. Maybe Merle Dixon was a good choice for his Bethy; no harm would come to her with the large man around.

"Ready?" Omid asked as he started to lead the couple across the dark farmyard.

Daryl stopped Hershel before he could reach the house. "How's Rick doin'?" Daryl asked.

"Well he's lucky, there wasn't too much damage. He won't be able to do a lot until the stitches come out."

Daryl placed one hand on his hip; the other kept a firm grasp on his crossbow. "Did ya tell him about the letter?"

"No, I thought it best to wait until morning. He's been through enough tonight." When Rick had been brought to Hershel he had been in a bad way. The arrow had speared his shoulder. It hadn't past through, it had just became wedge in the man's body. When Rick fell he had snapped the arrow in half, something Hershel didn't discover until he attempted to remove it.

Daryl nodded in agreement. He knew even though Rick had no hand in Shane's death he'd still blame himself, Rick was that sort of man. "Bug doin' alright?"

"She's with Beth, they're both using Patricia's room for the night since Omid, Christa and Clementine have taken your old room." Hershel placed a hand on Daryl's shoulder. "Don't worry she's safe."

Daryl gave a grateful look to Hershel. He'd had often wondered what would become of Hope if he and Merle were no longer around, and now he knew. His little girl would be just fine. The group would help raise and protect her. Hope would survive with or without them.

Daryl let Hershel enter the house and he returned back to a long night of keeping watch over his family.

* * *

Morning seemed to arrive at a slow pace. As soon as it was light out Glenn and T-Dogg started work on Shane's grave. The group had decided a ceremony would be held at midday for their fallen companion.

Omid, Tyreese and Sasha took over the watch duty from the Dixon boys and Martinez.

After Daryl had checked on Hope he went to see Rick. Lori sat at Rick's bedside with a tear stained face. He didn't know if the tears were from the shock of almost losing her husband, or from losing her lover. Daryl didn't much care; he had bigger fish to fry.

Rick sat up in bed; the man looked in a bad way. His face was pale, his skin looked clammy and a large bandage had been wrapped around his shoulder, back and chest.

"How you doin'?" Daryl asked.

"Not bad." Rick lied. "Lori told me about the letter."

Daryl frowned at Lori. Hershel had made his thoughts clear, Rick should have been left to rest. But as always Lori felt she knew better and had to run straight to Rick.

"What do you wanna do?" Daryl asked as he started chewing his nails.

Rick groaned in pain as he moved his body. "We need to come up with a plan. We need a group meeting."

"You're in no state." Lori snapped. "Let the others handle it Rick."

Daryl agreed with Lori. There was no way Rick could deal with the threat when he was injured. The man could barley sit up straight.

"I'll talk to the others." Daryl offered. "See what we can come up with."

Rick gave a weak smile. "Thank you Daryl."

Daryl gave a small shrug. "No problem. I betta go, I want to make sure there's no damage to the fence."

Lori followed Daryl out of the room. "Daryl can we talk."

"Sure."

"It's about Carl. He wanted to find the people responsible for this and kill them." Tears started to fill Lori's eyes. "Can you please talk to him?" She didn't want to see her child become a cold blooded killer. He was just a young boy.

Daryl felt uncomfortable with the responsibility Lori was placing on him. "Ain't there someone else? What about Ty?"

Lori grabbed Daryl's hands; she had a frantic look in her eyes. "He respects you Daryl. Please, I lost a close friend and I nearly lost my husband. I don't want to lose my son too."

Daryl couldn't say no. He would never forgive himself if Carl did something stupid and put himself in danger. "Sure, I'll talk to him. Don't know what good it'll do though."

"Thank you." Lori sounded relieved. "Thank you."

* * *

Merle had been sitting on the floor watching Hope colour in one of her colouring books, when he did something that could be considered as both stupid and dangerous. He fell asleep. His back was leaning against the sofa keeping his body upright, small snores escaped him every so often.

At first Hope had been annoyed that her Mine had stop praising her for her artwork. She walked over to him with her green felt tipped pen and poked Merle in the face. Merle just released a grunt but didn't wake.

Hope laughed at Merle's noise. "Oink Oink." She giggled. Hope then noticed her pen had left a green mark on her Mine's face. She stood next to Merle and drew a line on his cheek. "Pretty Mine." She giggled.

Hope picked up a red pen and started drawing over Merle's nose. Soon Merle's face was a rainbow of colours.

Beth walked into the living room. She had become suspicious when Hope had become silent and now she knew why. Hope had made Merle into walking art.

"Hope no." Beth rushed forward; she took the pen from Hope's hand.

"Pretty." Hope pointed at a sleeping Merle.

The sound of Daryl's footsteps entered the room. "What the hell?" He gave a snort like laugh at his newly decorated brother.

"Dada, Mine bootiful." Hope blew kisses at Merle.

Daryl tried to hold back another snort of laughter. "He slept through that?"

"He's exhausted. I'll go grab a damp cloth to clean him up." Beth disappeared back into the kitchen.

Daryl picked up the black pen. He walked over to Merle and softly drew cat whiskers on Merle's cheeks; he added a little black nose to finish off cat Merle.

"Miaow." Hope squealed. Merle snorted and Daryl made a quick escape out of the front door.

Daryl stood on the porch surveying the farm. Glenn and T-Dogg were taking a break from digging Shane's grave. He watched Sasha walking around near the stables, Sophia was by her side. He noticed that today Sasha had opted to wear a pair of denim shorts. He watched her long toned legs stroll slowly past the barn. His eyes travel up from her legs to her butt; he seemed to be transfixed by the movement of her hips as she walked.

"Why are you staring at Sasha?" Carl's voice made Daryl jump. He felt like he had been caught doing something he shouldn't. Carl was sitting on the porch chair; he had been watching Glenn and T-Dogg work.

"I wasn't." Daryl lied.

Carl squinted from beneath his father's hat. "Liar."

"You okay?" Daryl asked the young boy.

"What do you care?" Carl bit back.

Daryl narrowed his eyes. He tried to remind himself of what Carl was going through. "I just do." Daryl muttered.

Carl scoffed. "Lair. You don't care. I heard mom asking you to talk to me. You don't even want to talk to me."

Daryl crossed his arms. "You're right I don't." Daryl replied. "I don't want to do this." Daryl looked over at Glenn and T-Dogg. "C'mon."

Daryl walked towards the two men with Carl trailing slowly behind.

"Hey Glenn, T why don't you two take a break." The two men looked up at Daryl. "Me and Carl have got this covered."

Glenn was just about to say they had just taken a break when Daryl gave him a look that warned him not to.

"Sure." Glenn handed Daryl his shovel. "I want to make sure Chris is okay anyway, he's been a bit crabby."

T-Dogg gave Daryl his shovel to. "I'll go make sure the fencing is all secured." Both men walked away.

Daryl handed Carl a shovel. "What's this for?" Carl grumbled moodily.

"Baking a cake." Daryl shot back sarcastically. "Dig." He ordered.

Carl dug his shovel into the ground and left it standing up in the dirt. "Why? Those people that killed Shane and hurt my dad are out there. How's digging a stupid hole going to help?" Carl yelled in anger.

Daryl moved forwards, his face was pushed close to Carl's. "Digging this stupid hole will help because Shane needs to be buried. The group need to gather around this grave side to say goodbye." Daryl shoved the shovel back into Carl's hand. "Your mom and dad need this done."

Carl huffed he started to dig. Daryl joined him.

The digging started in silence; the only sound was dirt on metal. Carl took all his anger out on the ground; he stabbed the dirt with his shovel. Daryl looked over his shoulder at the angry boy.

"Y'know Merle nearly died once." Daryl noticed Carl's digging slow down. "Was the worst feeling in the world."

Carl turned his head in Daryl's direction. "Was it drugs?" Carl asked quietly. Shane had always said Merle was a drug dealer.

"No." Daryl carried on digging. "I was at home when the police came knocking. I thought Merle had just been up to his usual shit. Police told me that he'd been ridin' his bike and got hit by a drunk driver."

Carl turned to face Daryl, he had stopped digging now. "What happened?"

Daryl had never told anyone the story before; he never wanted to relive it again. "Merle was laid up in a hospital bed, tubes comin' out of him. They didn't know if he was gonna make it." Daryl sniffed. "The drunk driver just had a few scratches."

"Did you ever see the driver?" Carl asked.

Daryl nodded. "I waited for him one night outside the local bar. We got into a fight, broke his jaw." Daryl sighed. "Didn't change the fact that Merle was still in hospital and it didn't make me feel any better."

Carl started to dig again. "Well I'd feel better if I could kill the people who did this."

"What do you think will happen if we go in there with guns blazin'?" Daryl asked. Carl shrugged. "I tell ya what's gonna happen. The rest of their group will come knockin', and next time it could be a hell of a lot worse."

Carl threw his shovel down. "So what, we just roll over and let them take our stuff?"

"No, we play it smart. Come up with a plan and stop these bastards. Now you can help, or you can run 'round thinkin' you can deal with this on you own, and if you do that, you'll probably end up dead. How do you think your mom and dad will feel about that?" Daryl pointed to the shovel. "Now dig." Daryl ordered.

Carl picked up his shovel and started to dig. As he dug Carl found his anger being replaced with aching muscles and sweat. He started to concentrate on the hole he was digging, and that's when it hit him. This hole was for Shane. He would never see Shane again; never get to talk to him. Shane was dead. All the anger slipped away and immense sadness took over. Carl wanted to cry but he remembered Shane telling him once, men don't cry.

"It's done." Daryl patted Carl on the back.

Both men pulled themselves out of the hole and sat on the edge.

Daryl looked into the hole. "Y'know, you and me can carry Shane's body down if you want." He started to chew his nails waiting for Carl's reply.

Carl rubbed his eyes with the back of one of his hands. Carrying Shane to his final resting place would be like a final mark of respect. Carl knew his father would have done it if he wasn't injured.

"I'd like that." Carl replied. "Daryl." Carl looked over at the dirty man sitting next to him. "Will you make sure they pay for this?"

Daryl looked at Carl. The boy had a coldness in his eyes. He didn't know exactly what he was supposed to tell Carl, so he just told him the truth. "When the time is right, we'll take care of them." Daryl promised.

* * *

The group had gathered by Shane's graveside. Even Rick had made it to the sombre occasion. Beth had brought a chair from the farmhouse so Rick could sit down if he needed too. The injured man had fought with Lori to attend the funeral. He had to be helped to the graveside by Daryl and Tyreese.

Hershel stood at the head of the grave he had just recited a passage from the bible. "Would anyone like to say a few words?" Hershel offered the group.

"I would." Rick spoke up. "Shane and I, we were friends since kindergarten. The first time I ever met him he was loud and impulsive, that's something that never changed. He kept my family safe when I couldn't and despite our differences he was still my friend. I'm sorry that I couldn't save him." Rick looked at the grave, he was truly sorry he couldn't save his friend. He would always regret the last thing he had said to his friend was that he should leave the farm. Rick's body started to tremble. He had wanted Shane gone and now he was. He blamed himself for his friend's death. Rick sat down in the chair, he felt exhausted.

"Shane was a good man." T-Dogg spoke. "I remember meeting him at the quarry. He always made sure everyone was safe and fed. He'll be missed."

The group took it in turns to place a flower on the grave and say their goodbyes. Lori broke down in tears as Hershel led the group in a final prayer for the departed Shane.

Merle was the first person to leave. He didn't care for funerals, and after Hope's art attack he wasn't in the best of moods. He made his way back to the farmhouse and waited for the others to arrive. They needed to make a plan if they were going to stop the new danger that threatened them.

* * *

The group had all finally gathered in the farmhouse. They all managed to squeeze around the dining table waiting for the meeting to start.

"So what are we going to do about this?" Christa asked. Despite being heavily pregnant the woman was still incredibly fiery and active.

Merle was the one to answer and the answer shocked everyone. "We give them our stuff."

Andrea let out a large cough. "You're kidding right? We just give in?"

Glenn tapped his fingers against the table. "I never thought you were a coward." He muttered.

Merle banged his metal stump against the table making Glenn regret saying the words out loud. "I ain't no chicken." He snarled. "Listen, they don't know how much stuff we got. So we go with a small amount. We meet these fuckers and find out who they are."

Martinez smirked. "Then we find out where they're from."

"And take them all down." Daryl finished the sentence. Merle nodded.

"What if they kill you when you give them our supplies?" A worried Sasha asked.

Rick sighed. "It's a risk we have to take. I'll go."

"If you're going so am I." Carl added.

"No!" Lori yelled. "Rick you're not well enough and I'm not risking you Carl."

"I'll go." Merle answered. "I'll take Martinez."

"You ain't goin' without me." Daryl wasn't going to let Merle head into the unknown alone.

"And me." Milton added. "I want to take notes. This group needs to be documented."

Merle nodded. "That's it, no more." He stood up from the table. "Now I'm gonna get a few hours sleep."

* * *

Merle had been sleeping peacefully when he felt someone slip into bed beside him. He knew it was Beth, he could tell the young girl just by her scent now.

Merle rolled over and opened his eyes. "Hey there girl."

Beth was lying on her side; she was looking deep into Merle's eyes. "Why are you going?" Beth asked. "What if they do kill you, why risk it?"

Merle frowned; he placed his hand on Beth's hip. "Someone's gotta go. Besides they ain't gonna kill us."

Beth stretched out her arm; she played with Merle's tight curls. She tried imagining him with longer hair. She wondered if he would have the same unmanageable hair as Hope."How do you know?" She whispered.

Merle sighed. "They only want half our supplies. If they wanted us dead the group would have broken in slaughtered us all and taken our stuff." Merle yawned. "I'll bet ya a penny and a fiddle of gold they'll keep us around and want us to keep supplyin' them with stuff."

Beth pushed her body close to Merle's. "I hope you're right, I can't lose you."

Merle moved his hand from Beth's hip to her back; he slowly rubbed her in a soothing manner.

"Hey, is that my shirt?" Merle noticed Beth was wearing one of his wifebeaters.

Beth pulled away. "I borrowed it when you were ill. It smells like you. I hope you're not mad."

Merle sat up. "Let me see you in it."

He started to pull the covers back.

Beth rolled onto her back as the bedcovers were striped away from her body. Merle stared at his woman lying on the soft mattress. Her golden curls fanned out on the pillow, her delicate body was lost in his large shirt. Her little white dainty legs poked out from under the oversized garment.

"You can have it back if you want." Beth wasn't sure if Merle's silence was a good or bad thing.

"Looks better on you." Merle ran his hand up Beth's thigh, without warning his fingers entered her. Beth squealed in surprise. It was at times like this Merle wished he had two hands. He watched Beth's face as she moaned his name in pleasure. Her eyes closed and her hands balled up the sheets beneath her. She was beautiful. Merle felt himself hardening under the sheets.

"Merle." Beth gasped as he continued his assault with his skilful fingers.

Merle smirked as he watched Beth's body twitch. Her eyes flew open and her body gave up. She lay on the bed panting as Merle withdrew his fingers.

"Y'know Peach. It's dangerous for you to sleep in that." Beth watched as he sucked his fingers dry. She blushed. It didn't matter how long she was his lover, Merle could still make her blush. "'Cause I like to sleep nude and that's just gonna land you in trouble." Merle moved from under the sheets revealing The General, who was standing to attention and ready for action.

Beth sat up rather abruptly her lips collided with Merle's, her arms wrapped around his neck and she pulled him down on top of her.

Merle was enjoying Beth's new found forwardness. He wasted no time in entering her. She whined in pleasure. Merle nuzzled into Beth's shoulder as he pumped inside her. The strap of the old wifebeater slid from Beth's shoulder revealing her creamy white skin. Merle started sucking and biting the bare skin like a hungry animal. He was going to give Beth another first, her first love bite. He felt Beth lose control beneath him; she cried his name out loud as she came. Merle gave a few more thrusts and joined Beth in a haze of blissful pleasure.

Merle rolled off Beth, he naturally stretched out his arm letting Beth curl into his side. "I love you Merle." Beth kissed his chest.

Merle kissed the top of Beth's head. "You too." He replied sleepily.

Beth fell asleep with a smile on her face, "you too" that was as good as those three small words Beth thought.

* * *

The next day was filled with the group deciding exactly how much of their supplies they should give away. Rick stood on the porch watching the men start to load the car. He felt useless.

Rick hadn't slept well; his night was filled with nightmares of Shane. His dead friend haunted his dreams telling Rick that he was at fault for his death, and Lori would never love Rick as much as she loved him. The image of Shane's speared torso falling to the floor replayed every time Rick closed his eyes.

"Everythin's set." Daryl said as he approached the group leader. Daryl instantly noticed the dark rings around Rick's eyes. "You okay?"

Rick used his good hand up gently rub his damaged shoulder. "I just wish I was going with you." He gave a tired sigh. "You lot elected me leader, I should be there."

Daryl frowned as he leant against the porch railings. "You're hurt, ain't your fault. Besides if anythin' should happen to me and Merle, Hope will need someone to look after her."

Rick gave Daryl a light smile. He knew the hunter was just trying to make him feel better. "Thank you."

Daryl gave Rick a nod. "Right I gotta go. Merle and I are gonna take Hope swimmin' in the pond."

Rick raised an eyebrow. "Is that safe?" Rick had never seen anyone swim in the old pond. It wasn't exactly the best place to learn to swim.

Daryl shrugged. "She'll be fine. I saw a rubber ring 'round here somewhere. We'll just pop her in that and drag her around."

Daryl disappeared into the house to get gather all the supplies he'd need for the day. Rick looked back out to the yard. He scratched his stubble as a chilling thought crossed his mind. The attack had been well timed and well planned. It was almost as if the group knew when to strike. As Rick watched each member of the group start their daily routine, he found himself wondering. Was a traitor amongst them? And if there was, had Shane been right, had a trusting Rick let a dangerous person into the group and put them all in danger?


	39. Chapter 39

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thank you to FanFicGirl10, DarylDixon'sLover, Brazen Hussy, Annelisa, Micaela Beth Winchester, SeverusSnape'sLove, Emberka-2012 and jessegdixon.**

* * *

**Chapter 39.**

Beth had been awake for an hour or so. She had curled her body into Merle's listening to his steady breathing. Usually Beth would get up, see to Hope and start preparing breakfast. But today she didn't want to leave the bed. Leaving the bedroom would wake Merle, and if Merle woke he would then have to leave with the rest of the men and risk his life.

Voices could be heard from somewhere in the trailer. Daryl was already up, she had heard him collect Hope from her room and answer the door. Beth thought it was Milton but she couldn't be sure.

The voices continued to drift into the room. Beth pushed closer to Merle's body willing the men to be quiet so not wake Merle. She felt like crying, Beth didn't want to lose Merle, she needed him.

"Pee." Hope's shrill squeal echoed around the trailer.

Merle groaned. His daughter's screech had pulled him out of his slumber. Merle rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Mornin' darlin'."

"Morning." Beth muttered into Merle's body.

"Betta get up, busy day." Merle rolled away from Beth and out of bed.

Beth sat up in the bed she gave Merle her most seductive look. "Why don't you stay here today? We can give Hope to daddy and stay in bed all day."

Merle pulled on his boxers and pants. "Peach I'd love nothin' better than to fuck you 'till you can't walk, but I gotta sort this shit out." Merle cocked his head to the side. "What's wrong with your face?" He had just noticed Beth pulling a strange duck like pout, and squinting at him in a strange manner. She looked like she was about to go to toilet on the bed.

Beth pouted. There was nothing wrong with her face. She was trying her hardest to pull a sexual, seductive face to lure her man back to bed. "Nothing." Beth moaned.

Merle placed his stump and hand on his hips. "C'mon now girl, stop poutin'. You ain't a baby. What's wrong with ya?"

"I was trying to look..." Beth looked up at Merle he had an impatient look on his face. "Sexy." She muttered.

Merle's braying laughter didn't do anything to help her embarrassment. She placed her face in her hands and started to sob.

Merle stopped laughing he looked confused by the young woman's meltdown. He sat on the bed next to Beth. "Stop that now you hear. No cryin'. Only babies and girls cry."

Beth raised her head just enough to splutter out a sentence. "I...am..a...girl." Beth choked out her words. "You...don't...think...I'm...sex...y."

Merle felt like crying himself. He had made Beth cry. He wasn't sure how he had done it, but he had. "Listen Peach." He pulled Beth close to him. "You're the sexiest thing I ever saw. You don't have to pull some duck face to try and make yourself more attractive." He placed his lips close to her ear. "I love ya, you crazy girl."

Beth sniffled, she gave a little hiccup. Her insides felt like they were exploding at the words but she knew she couldn't make a fuss over them. If she did Merle would become uncomfortable and he may never say them again. She lightly hit Merle in the chest. "I didn't look like a duck."

Merle chuckled. "You know we don't condone hittin' now Peach." Merle teased the blonde.

Beth gave him a little shove. She ran her hands down Merle's face letting his stubble scratch her soft hands. "Stay." She pleaded.

"I can't." He replied. "I gotta keep my family safe." Merle kissed Beth on the forehead. "Now c'mon lets get some breakfast."

Beth watched as Merle walked over to the wardrobe and pulled out a fresh shirt. "I'll be out in a moment." Beth replied softly. Merle just gave her a wink and left the room.

Merle found Daryl, Hope and Milton in the small kitchenette. Milton was brewing some tea whilst Daryl was sitting at the breakfast bar looking over a map. Someone, had tied Hope's hair into neat little bunches with bright pink ribbon. Merle assumed it must have been Milton because Daryl usually let Hope's wild curls do as they pleased.

"Well, well baby brother. You finally got yourself a girlfriend." Merle looked at Milton. "She ain't a looker, but then I guess if you turn the lights out you ain't gonna she her."

Daryl looked up at Merle with a scowl on his face. "Fuck off Merle." He grumbled.

Milton placed a mug of tea in front of Daryl. "I just came to go through the details of today." Milton explained.

Hope held up her little pink sippy cup. "Mine, I drink pee."

Merle smirked he bent down and rub his nose against Hope's. "Pee huh?" He stood up snatching the map from Daryl.

Hope giggled. "Milky's pee."

Daryl chocked on his own mug of tea. He started to cough trying to clear his airwaves.

Milton squatted down so he was at the same level as Hope in her highchair. "Hope it's not pee, its tea. T." He sounded out the letter T. "You remember T, T is for tree and also tea."

Hope nodded. "Mine I drink tree."

Merle chuckled. "You're gonna need a bigger cup for that Squirt." He turned to Daryl. "Can you take Squirt to the farmhouse, Beth ain't ready yet."

Daryl stood up. "Sure, c'mon Bug. You wanna go play with Chris and Judy."

"No." Hope lent back in her chair drinking her tea.

"Tough." Daryl replied picking up her new coat. The coat was a hand me down from Maggie, Hope had grown out of her old one. The new coat was bright red and padded. It had ladybug pockets and little ladybug buttons.

"Right." Merle placed the map on the table. "Give Mine a kiss."

Merle walked over to Hope and gave his girl a kiss. "Lub ewe." Hope patted Merle's head.

"Love you too." Merle tickled her cheek.

Hope looked over at Milton. "Milky kiss." She asked forcefully. Milton walked over to Hope and kissed her on the cheek. "Lub ewe." She held up her arms to Daryl. "Dada go."

Daryl picked up Hope out of her highchair and stood her on the floor. "Coat." He put the coat on Hope. "Anythin' else you wanna take?" Daryl asked.

"Milky." Hope pointed to Milton.

"No Milton's stayin' here." Daryl answered.

"Milky kiss." Hope walked over to Milton.

Daryl picked up Hope. "No, c'mon you've already kissed Milton lets go."

"Bye." Hope screamed at Milton and Merle as Daryl carried her out.

As soon as he got outside the trailer Daryl placed Hope down giving her the freedom to run. She shot off towards the farm house.

Daryl couldn't understand how a small child with little legs could move so quickly, she was like a hare.

As Hope ran one of her feet got caught up in the other and she hit the ground with a thud. Daryl's heart jumped into his mouth. He watched Hope pull herself back onto her feet. She looked behind her at Daryl. She didn't know how to react to falling; she was waiting for Daryl's reaction. He took a deep breath realising his girl was fine, he tried to not make a fuss of the tiny trip.

"You okay Bug?" Daryl briskly walked towards Hope.

Hope looked down at her grass stained pants. "Dirty." She rubbed her knees.

Daryl bent down to examine his child's dirty knees. "Just a bit of dirt. You're a brave girl ain't ya."

Hope looked at her muddy hands; she wiped them in Daryl's hair and carried on running towards the house. If her Dada wasn't bothered by the fall then she had no reason to worry either. Daryl smiled the girl was pure Dixon; she just seemed to bounce back from everything.

Hope pushed open the front door. "Here." She yelled as she darted into the kitchen, Hope was hoping for a second breakfast.

"Hello!" Daryl called out as he entered the house.

"In here." Maggie's voice came from the kitchen.

Daryl entered the kitchen to find Maggie sitting down at the table eating breakfast with Clementine. Chris and Judith had been placed in their little baby rocking chairs. Daryl and Glenn had picked them up on a run. Both were an identical cream colour with a duck design on them.

Hope watched Maggie eat a spoonful of oatmeal. "I help." She started to pull herself on Maggie's lap.

Maggie placed the spoon in the bowl and gave Hope a hand up onto her lap. Once she was table level Hope picked up the spoon in the bowl. Maggie opened her mouth ready for Hope to feed her. With an unsteady hand Hope lifted the spoon and placed it in her own mouth.

"Nummmmmmmm." Hope mumbled happily as she ate.

Maggie looked up at Daryl with a smirk on her face. "I thought she wanted to help."

Daryl took a seat next to Clementine he gave the small girl a smile. "Yeah and she is. She's helpin' ya eat it."

Clementine giggled as Hope had now given up on the spoon and was using her hands to shovel the remainder of the oatmeal in her mouth.

"She sure is messy." Clementine giggled.

Hope looked in Clementine's direction. Her eyes locked onto the plateful of eggs. "I help." She wiggled down from Maggie's lap and made her way to Clementine's side. Hope placed her hands on Clementine's chair; she stood with her mouth open.

Clementine giggled again and placed a small forkful of egg into Hope's mouth.

Judith started to cry. "Shhhh baba." Hope spat eggs everywhere.

Maggie stood up and picked up Judith. "Oh Judy, what's wrong?" Judith's whining woke Chris up and the little boy started to cry.

"I got him." Daryl made his way to the boy and picked him up. "Your woman givin' you a headache huh?" Daryl cooed at the little boy. "You just wait 'till she gets bigger. If she's like her Ma you might as well give up now."

Maggie frowned. "Hey, what makes you think my son is going to end up with Judy?" She slowly started to rock the crying baby. "Anyway she may end up like her dad."

Daryl smirked. "Shane?"

Maggie lightly kicked Daryl in the leg. "Not in front of the kids."

Daryl looked over at Hope and Clementine; the two girls were oblivious to the conversation between the adults. Clementine was feeding Hope off of her plate.

"Where is Lori anyway?" Chris had quickly settled down. Daryl gently placed the baby boy back in his chair.

"She's with Rick." Daryl noticed a little eye roll but ignored it.

They were all feeling the same. The group seemed to function well. Even Merle had settled down nicely. They all worked together taking on any task they needed to. All except Lori, Mrs Grimes seemed to disappear when any work was being allocated and having a sick husband now gave her a reason to shirk her child care duties.

"You want me to send Beth to help?" Daryl handed Maggie a bottle of milk to try and silence the crying baby.

Maggie shifted Judith in her arms and started to feed the baby girl. "No let her say goodbye to Merle. Besides I have Clem and Hope to help me don't I?" Maggie called over to the girls.

Clementine nodded enthusiastically. Hope watched as Maggie fed Judith, she was very thirsty. Yes. Hope could indeed help Maggie and Judith with that milk.

"I help." Hope trotted over to Maggie. She held out her hands ready to receive the bottle.

Daryl laughed as he scooped up his daughter. "Judy don't need help drinkin' her milk I'm sure." Hope pulled a face of disappointment at Daryl. Her little lips pouted and her eyes grew wide. "I'm sure Maggie will give you some milk if you ask nicely. Now give Dada a kiss, 'cause I got a shit load of work to do."

Hope grabbed either side of Daryl's face and planted a sloppy kiss on his nose. She then turned her attention to Maggie. "Milk peas."

"I'll get it." Clementine offered as she slid down from her chair.

"Thanks Clem." Maggie answered. "So why aren't you taking Hope to the gate with you?" Maggie asked. The Dixon boys had always said goodbye to Hope at the gate.

Daryl shrugged. "If she don't see us go she won't notice we're gone." Daryl placed Hope on the floor allowing her to join Clementine. "And if she don't notice we're gone, she won't miss us if we don't come back."

Maggie looked horrified at Daryl. "Don't you say stuff like that. Hope worships you, and for some unknown reason Merle. She knows when you're not on the farm. And she'd miss you like crazy when you two weren't here." Maggie watched Hope devour her milk. "I know it sounds stupid but I swear she knows where you both are all the time."

"That's 'cause she's a smart girl." Daryl said proudly. "I betta get goin'." He bent down and kissed Hope on top of her head. "See ya later Bug."

Hope pulled her sippy cup away from her mouth. "'Kay." She hollered at Daryl.

When Daryl made it to the gate Martinez, Merle and Milton were already waiting. Tyreese stood next to the gate waiting to open it for the men. The only other person present was Beth. The farmer's daughter stood next to Merle with her arms wrapped around him.

"Took your time." Merle called out.

"Just settlin' the kids." Daryl replied. "You got my crossbow." He nodded at the already loaded car.

Martinez placed a baseball cap on his head. "Of course we have. While you were playing Dixon daycare we were doing all the grunt work."

Daryl just flipped the man off. "We ready to go?"

Merle pulled away from Beth. "Now's as good a time as any. Peach look after Squirt and make sure you stay in the house." Beth just nodded. She knew if she spoke she'd cry and she didn't want to cry. Merle placed a kiss on Beth's forehead. "I'm drivin'."

Martinez quickly moved towards the car. "Shotgun." He declared.

Daryl was just about to argue when Sasha ran towards the group. "Wait!" All eyes were on the young woman as she stopped right in front of Daryl. "Daryl I..." Sasha had planned a whole speech for this moment. She knew since the men may not return she needed to tell him how she felt, but as she stood staring into his blue eyes words failed her. "Screw it." Sasha lunged forward crushing her lips against his.

Daryl's whole body became rigid as Sasha pushed her lips tighter on his. He had no idea how to react. He'd only been with a handful of women and that was when he was drunk or high. As Sasha pulled away, Daryl felt relieved and frustrated. A smart, independent, funny woman had just kissed him and Daryl had nearly pissed his pant.

"Fuck me." Merle muttered. "Hey brother, maybe if we were goin' away for longer she'd suck your dick."

Milton shook his head. He wasn't the only one who had found the joke offensive. "That's my sister." Tyreese spat.

Merle held up his hands in some sort of mock surrender. "Hey, calm down boy. She's the one givin' her goods to my brother. I'm just statin' facts."

"Merle get in the car." Daryl barked. He didn't say anything to Sasha; he just made his way to the waiting vehicle trying to avoid eye contact with Tyreese. Sasha's older brother was far from happy.

Daryl slipped into the back of the car catching a smirking Merle's eye. The car started and Merle drove away from the farm.

* * *

The car had been filled with silence for the first few minutes of the journey. Every so often Milton would scribble something down in his notebook. Daryl was grateful, he was sure that Merle would start teasing him as soon as he got in the car. Daryl sighed. Maybe Merle had changed; maybe being in a stable relationship had mellowed the old Dixon out.

"So, baby brother." Merle smirked. Just like that Daryl realised his brother would never change. All he could do was brace himself for an onslaught of torment. "When did you start addin' your milk to that tall cup of black coffee?"

Daryl frowned. "Fuck you Merle." He snapped. "I haven't touched the girl."

Merle's smirked remained on his face. "You always did like the darker meat."

"Shut the fuck up!" Daryl barked.

Merle ignored his angry brother. He wasn't going to give up a chance to tease Daryl. "You fucked her yet?"

Daryl wasn't sure if he could detect a small amount of disgust in Merle's voice. Merle has always been racist; even now he didn't really get on with T-Dogg or Glenn. Although Daryl thought that had more to do with what happened in Atlanta than race.

"We ain't doin' nothin'." Daryl yelled. "I didn't even know she liked me. Now can we fuckin' drop it!" The outburst made the car go silent.

After a few moments Merle gave a snort. "Calm down princess, I was just messin'. Damn, is it your time of the month?"

"Fuck you." Daryl grumbled.

Milton decided to once again play the mediator. "Maybe we should just keep our mind on the task at hand."

The men returned to saying nothing. Martinez adjusted his cap. "What is it with Dixon's and young women?" He turned his head to look at Daryl. "You do know Sasha is only twenty? That's one year older than Beth."

Daryl rolled his eyes. "I ain't doin' anythin' with her." Daryl gave a little grunt. He knew when he got home he'd have to deal with Tyreese and the rest of the group. Merle had come under attack for being with Beth. He could only imagine what the gossip would be on their return.

Merle pulled up outside the abandoned bar. The town seemed quiet enough. "You all ready?" He asked. Each man gave a light nod and that was all he needed.

Merle was the first to exit the vehicle. Daryl was close behind. The Dixon men kept watch as both Milton and Martinez gathered the supplies from the car.

Daryl noticed theirs was the only car around. He started to wonder if the other group had backed down. He decided to investigate.

Daryl walked slowly over to the bar; he peered in through the dirty windows. He could make out two men leaning against the bar talking.

He jogged back over to the group. "They're in there." Daryl informed the men.

Merle made sure his knife was securely attached to his wrist guard. He pulled out his gun. "Let's do this." Merle led the group to the deserted bar. Each man except Milton kept their weapons raised. "Keep your eyes open." He muttered as he kicked open the door.

Merle steeped in with his gun raised. The smell of stale alcohol and damp greeted them. A tall Hispanic man stood directly in front of Merle. His shoulder length black hair had been tied back into a ponytail.

"That isn't anyway to greet an old friend now, is it Dixon." The man strutted closer to the group.

Merle's gun lowered a little. "Tomas."


	40. Chapter 40

**Thank you for reading and reviewing.**

**Thanks to DarylDixon'sLover, FanFicGirl10, Brazen Hussy, Micaela Beth Winchester, jessegdixon, Emberka-2012, Runaway Fantasy Princess, SeverusSnape'sLove and Annelisa.**

* * *

**Chapter 40. **

Milton stood with his notebook in his hand. He scribbled down every detail of the man standing in front of them. The group had lowered their weapons just enough to hold a conversation with associate of Merle.

Merle's cool blue eyes looked over his old friend. "Last I heard you was in jail." He said rather coolly. Merle had remembered reading an article in the local paper about the arrest of a local drugs gang.

Tomas's face twisted into a cruel smile. "Yeah...thanks for that." He chuckled. "You know I spent my days thinking of how I could repay you for putting me in there."

Merle smirked at the accusation. Tomas could never take responsibility for his own actions. "You did that y'self. If ya didn't wanna get caught shouldn't have gone on the drugs run."

Tomas clenched his fist. "That was supposed to be your run. Until you decided that you had more important things to do."

Tomas remembered the night Merle had shown up in the bar to talk to Ron, the leader of their biker gang. Merle had told the man he wouldn't be peddling his drugs anymore. The news didn't sit well with Ron and a bar fight had broken out. As always Merle "the tank" Dixon won. Merle had told the whole gang he didn't want anything else to do with them. Tomas had willingly stepped up and taken Merle's place.

Merle shrugged. "You could've said no."

Tomas's cold dark eyes burnt into Merle. "Well it doesn't matter anymore. I'm not locked up and it looks like I'm on the winning team." He started to smirk. "I've heard all about you and your baby." A small chuckle escaped him. "Or is it your brother's child? Fuck, I'm surprised the little thing isn't dead by now...who knows, she may be soon."

Daryl raised his crossbow at lightening speed. Tomas could take shots at Merle, but his Hope was off limits. "You betta watch your mouth sunshine."

Tomas looked at Daryl and then back up Merle. "Shit. Is this your brother?" He shook his head. "He's kind of weedy looking; I was expecting someone...bigger."

Daryl took a step closer to Tomas. "Big enough to take your sorry ass down." He spat through clenched teeth.

Milton cleared his throat. "Sorry but who exactly sent you here...uh..." Milton glanced down at his notes making sure he got the strangers name right. "Tomas?"

The Hispanic man frowned at Milton; he looked disgusted that the scientist dared speak to him. "Why do you want to know?"

Martinez rested his gun on his shoulder. "Because we'd like to know who has the balls to take our stuff."

The sound of scuffling and glass smashing could be heard. Tomas huffed and rolled his eyes.

"Hey T." A tall lanky boy entered the room from behind the bar. "They're alone. I checked outside like you said." The young boy looked at the four men. "Holy shit! It is you three. Damn, I couldn't believe it when..."

"Noah shut it!" Tomas yelled at the young man. "Christ sakes."

Milton seemed happy to see the boy. It was a genuine pleasure for him to know at least some of Woodbury's inhabitants had survived. "Noah, is your mother with you?" Milton enquired.

Noah clumsily stumbled from behind the bar. "No, she back at the..."

"Shut up Noah!" Tomas boomed. "What did Negan say?" Tomas struck the boy around the back of the head. "Take the goods and set the rules."

"Who's Negan?" Milton quizzed the men.

Tomas turned to face Milton with a sneer upon his face. "It's the only name you need to remember." He looked at the group of men. "The rules are simple. Once a month we meet here and you give us half of your supplies."

Daryl gave a large snort. "And why would we do that?"

"Because if you don't we can't guarantee your groups safety. It would be a shame if crawlers got in and got to Hope." Tomas looked at Merle. "And Dixon do you really want to put the farmer's daughter in danger? I hear she's a real looker." Both Merle and Daryl flew forward ready to hand a beating to the gloating man. Tomas pulled out his gun. "Don't be stupid boys. You hurt me, and the rest of The Saviors will just have to get even." Both Dixon gave an identical frustrated growl. "Now, I suggested you leave your stuff and go back home. In a months time you bring half your group's stuff back here. If you miss the deadline or we think you're holding out on us, we'll take it out on one of your group."

Martinez placed his hand on Merle's shoulder. "Come on Merle, we'll get even."

Merle grabbed Tomas's grubby wifebeater; he placed his blade under the man's chin. "You listen, and you listen good you filthy beaner. If anythin' happens to my family you and your group better hide. 'Cause I will kill each and every one of you." He pushed Tomas's body away from his. "Let's go." Merle stormed out of the bar.

The men made their way back to the waiting vehicle. Milton was still scribbling notes in his book. He wanted to document everything about the meeting.

Martinez looked at the Dixon boys as he entered the car. "So what now?" He asked.

Daryl bit his thumb nail. "Now we talk to Rick."

* * *

Beth and Maggie were trying their hardest to entertain the children. Rick had suggested that everybody stayed inside unless they had to go out into the farmyard. He didn't want to risk anyone else.

The two Greene girls were now preparing lunch for the group of youngsters. Carl had spent the morning sulking in the arm chair. The young boy was still annoyed that he wasn't allowed to join Daryl and the group.

Clementine was sat on the floor happily drawing and humming to herself. Sophia sat reading next to Clementine. The teenager had spent the morning helping Maggie and Beth with the babies.

Hope had made several attempts at breaking out; she had even succeeded at one point and made it on to the front porch only to be stopped by Glenn. The baby Dixon hated being cooped up.

Beth walked into the front room. Hope was walking around in a pair of men's slippers holding a book and babbling to anyone who'd listen.

"Soup or beans for lunch?" Beth asked the room.

Carl sat up straight in the chair. "What type of soup?"

"Vegetable." Beth's answer earned her a moan from both Carl and Clementine. "I guess its beans then."

"Beans!" Hope yelled waving the book in the air. "Poo."

The door flew open with such force it nearly came off its hinges. Omid entered the room, the man had a look of fear etched on his face. "Is Hershel here? It's Christa. Something's wrong with the baby."

"Daddy!" Beth called out.

Hershel entered the room. "Bethy, what's wrong?"

"The baby." Omid blurted out.

Hershel's concern instantly showed on his face. He knew the baby would struggle to survive if it was born now. "Where is she?"

"In the RV, we were helping Carol with the laundry. She started to feel sharp pains in her stomach..." Omid looked pale. "She's bleeding."

Hershel nodded. "I'll grab my bag and I'll be right down."

Omid ran from the house at full pelt.

Beth watched as Hershel gathered his doctor's bag and followed the man. She felt a pang of sadness; she gave a silent prayer for Christa and her unborn child.

Maggie walked into the living room. She wondered what was taking Beth so long. As Maggie looked around the room she noticed an empty pair of slippers and a child missing.

"Beth, where's Hope?" Maggie looked around the room trying to catch a glimpse of the small child.

A look of dread crossed Beth's face. She had only taken her eyes off Hope for a second. "Oh no! Hope!" Beth called.

"We'll find her." Maggie replied calmly. "Carl, help me look outside. Clem, Sophia, look upstairs, Beth look down here." The small group split up and started the Dixon hunt.

* * *

Rick sat in a chair looking out of his bedroom window when he heard the bedroom door squeak open. At first he assumed it was Lori, but when no one spoke he turned his head in the direction of the open door.

"Strange." He muttered. Rick stood up and made his way to the door. "Hello." He called out.

No answer came so Rick closed the door. He gave a little sigh and made his way back to his chair only to find it had already been taken by Hope.

"Hello." Rick smiled down at the child.

"Boo!" Hope squealed and giggled.

Rick chuckled. "Boo yourself. Come here." He gently and slowly picked up Hope in his good arm. Rick winched in pain as he sat down on the chair and placed Hope on his lap.

Hope caught the pained look in her newest playmate's eyes. She pointed to Rick's bandaged shoulder.

"Bad?" Hope hissed as if she was in pain.

Rick took a deep breath trying to ignore the burning feeling in his shoulder. "Yeah...bad." A small tear leaked out of the corner of Rick's

Hope knelt up on Rick's lap, she softly patted his cheek. "I do." She placed a small kiss on Rick's bandaged shoulder. "All better." Hope clapped her hands.

Rick smiled softly; the little girl was certainly something else. He remembered Carl at Hope's age. His little boy had been just as sweet as the Dixon child. "What are you doing up here anyway?" Rick was surprised that the girl was alone.

Hope threw her head back. "Hungy." She moaned.

"There's no food here." Rick stated.

Hope pouted. "Bapple." She pointed to a lone apple sitting on the bedside table. Lori had brought the shiny red fruit up earlier that morning as a snack for Rick.

"You sure have good eyes." Rick looked down at Hope. "That's my apple."

Hope turned around and slipped down from Rick's lap. "I get."

Rick watched the small child. He wanted to see how she would manage to reach the delicious snack.

Hope walked over to the nightstand. She stood on her tiptoes but she still wasn't tall enough to reach the apple.

"Owwww." Hope groaned. "Bapple no." Hope banged her little feet on the floor. She looked up at the bed. "I get it." Hope chirped. She grabbed a handful of the blanket that was covering the bed and started to drag herself up.

Hope was nearly to the top; her little hands clambered wildly at the blanket and mattress beneath her. Rick was truly inspired by the child's determination. Hope dug her feet into the mattress and pulled herself up onto the bed. She crawled over to the bedside table and claimed her prize.

"Nummmmmmm." Hope mumbled happily. She started to suck and chew the apple. Hope frowned at the fruit. She didn't want the skin; Hope wanted the juicy flesh underneath. "We share." Hope held out the apple towards Rick.

The ex officer stood up and made his way to the bed. "Okay, we can share." Rick sat next to Hope on the bed. He took the apple out of her hand and bit into it.

"Gimme peas." Hope bounced on the bed.

Rick handed the apple back to Hope. She started to chew on the flesh of the apple. "Nummmmm." Hope smiled. Juice ran down her chin. "Now you." Hope handed the apple back to Rick.

There was a knock at the door, Beth's voice followed. "Rick, have you seen Hope?"

"She's in here." Rick called back.

The bedroom door flew open and Beth entered. She looked at Hope with an equal measure of anger and relief. "Hope, you had us worried." Beth scolded.

Hope knew she was in trouble for something, but she didn't know what. Her bottom lip started to tremble, her eyes watered and Hope started to cry. "Hun...gy...bap...ple." She howled.

Beth instantly felt terrible for scolding the small child. "Don't cry. You just gave us a fright." Beth scooped Hope up of the bed. "I don't ever want to lose you." She soothed.

Rick slowly stood up. "Hope would you like the rest of my apple?" He offered the apple to Hope.

"Peas." Hope sniffled. She grabbed the fruit and started to slowly nibble on it between sobs.

"How's everyone else doing?" Rick asked Beth. He hated feeling useless. Rick felt he should be with the Dixon group facing the new threat.

"Daddy's had to check on Christa, she's in pain." Beth replied sadly. "I guess all the stress isn't good for her."

Rick nodded sadly. The stress wasn't good for anybody. "Hopefully Daryl will be able to sort this out."

"Let's hope so." Beth replied softly. "We're going to start lunch now; I'll bring you something up." She offered.

Rick walked towards the door. "I'll come down. It's my shoulder that's hurt not my legs." Rick shot back sharply.

Beth frowned. "It was just an offer." She replied in a curt tone. Beth didn't let Merle talk to her in that manner, so there was no way Rick was going to get away with it.

Rick sighed. "I'm sorry. It's just hard. I feel useless."

"Rick, your not useless. You can come and watch the children while Maggie and I prepare lunch."

"I help!" Hope yelled.

Beth placed Hope on the floor. She knew full well that "I help" meant "I'll eat all your food for you."

"It's okay you can help Rick read a story." Beth held Hope's free hand.

Hope held the half eaten apple up to Rick. "I done." She started to swing Beth's arm back and forth. "Meth go."

Beth walked out of the room hand in hand with Hope. She made a mental note to ask Merle to find some sort of reins for her, that way they could give Hope her freedom and keep her close at the same time.

* * *

The group returned to the farm late in the afternoon. As soon as Daryl stepped out of the car Tyreese was by his side towering over him.

"Can we talk?" Tyreese's question sounded more like a demand.

"I gotta talk to Rick." Daryl replied trying to brush the man off.

"I'm sure Rick can wait five minutes." Tyreese replied. "We need to talk about Sasha."

Merle had been chatting to Martinez by the car when he noticed his brother and Tyreese sizing each other up. He gave a small growl, no one messed with his baby brother.

"You need somethin' boy?" Merle called over at Tyreesse.

Having Merle wade in was the last thing Daryl needed. "It's fine Merle. Why don't you go check on Bug?"

Merle gave Tyreese a poisonous glare. "Fine, but if you need me just holler. I could do with kickin' ass today."

Merle walked off towards the house with Martinez. Hope's excited yells could be heard as her Mine entered the house.

"Look I haven't been doin' shit with your sister, I didn't even know she liked me." Daryl was trying his hardest to stop any trouble from arising.

Tyreese crossed his arms over his chest. "I know, Sasha told me everything." He sighed and placed his hands on his hips. "Look man, she's my baby sister. Do you like her?" Daryl was dumbstruck. His mouth feel open. "I don't want her to get hurt so if you don't like her, let her down gently." Tyreese's eyes seemed to soften slightly. He liked Daryl as far as men went he was a good, decent man. In a flash Tyresse's brown eyes turned hard. "But if you mess her around I will feed you to a walker."

Daryl started to bite his nails. How was he supposed to talk to Sasha? He didn't know how to deal with girls and feelings. Daryl wasn't even sure how he felt about the girl, he knew he liked Sasha as a friend. He liked all the women in the camp but it didn't mean he wanted to settle down and start something with them.

"I'll talk to her." Daryl muttered softly.

Tyreese patted Daryl on the shoulder. "You're a good man."

"Don't feel much like it with the news we're bringing back." Daryl muttered.

A look of concern crossed Tyreese's face. "That bad?" He asked.

Daryl shook his head. "Worse." He replied. "I gotta see Rick."

"He's in the house with the kids." Tyreese motioned towards the farm house.

"Thanks." Daryl muttered before walking off. He wasn't looking forward to breaking the news of Tomas and the deal they had struck. Daryl knew that all hell was about to break loose and there was nothing he could do to stop it.


End file.
